This enamel on copper portrait, from the workshop of the French artist Colin Nouailher (active 1539-1571), features the ancient Roman military leader and dictator, Julius Caesar (c. 100-44 BCE). Although the artwork does not directly name a specific episode from the famous figure’s life, it likely portrays Julius Caesar’s famous crossing of the Rubicon. This occurred in 49 BCE, a complicated time when Caesar, from the safety of his loyal military command in Gaul, was trying to secure the high office position of consul in Rome. Caesar and his rivals all knew that he would be vulnerable in that span of time between relinquishing his command in Gaul and subsequently taking up office in Rome. To mitigate these concerns, Caesar wanted to remain with his troops until his election was secured, or at the very least he wanted his rivals (especially Pompey the Great) to step down from their own military commands, too. Nevertheless, Julius Caesar’s political and military rivals in Rome thwarted these aims and demanded that Caesar relinquish command of his loyal forces in Gaul before his political future and personal safety was certain. In contrast, the Senate further empowered Pompey the Great with additional troops and authority at the same time that they attempted to strip Caesar of his own influence. When it became apparent that the Senate would not condone him staying with his troops, Caesar began amassing his forces at the Rubicon, a small stream that marked the boundary between Cisalpine Gaul and Italy. Futile negotiations continued into January of 49 BCE, at which point Julius Caesar crossed the Rubicon and formally marched his army into Italy, violating Roman law and igniting a rebellion. It was an iconic point-of-no-return moment, a cast of the die, that marked the beginning of the civil war that transitioned Rome from a republic into an authoritarian empire.
Written by C. Keith Hansley
Sources:
- The Twelve Caesars by Suetonius, translated by Robert Graves and edited by James B. Rives. New York: Penguin Classics, 2007.
- War Commentaries by Gaius Julius Caesar and Aulus Hirtius, translated by W. A. McDevitte and W. S. Bohn, 2014.
- Plutarch’s Lives edited by Charles W. Eliot in the Harvard Classics series. New York: P. F. Collier & Son, 1909, 1937.
- https://www.britannica.com/biography/Julius-Caesar-Roman-ruler/Antecedents-and-outcome-of-the-civil-war-of-49-45-bce
- https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/196381
