019: Julius Caesar – Let the die be cast

“Let the die be cast” – Julius Caesar

This was drawn by Jason Liw. Check out his Behance profile.

I don’t think Julius Caesar needs and introduction. This short comic comes from two translation variations of what Caesar said when crossing the Rubicon River. Caesar was reported as saying «Ἀνερρίφθω κύβος» (Greek) while he crossed the river. The Greek words translate to both “Let the die be cast” and “Let the games be ventured”. Fun fact: the more commonly known Latin form of what Caesar said, “Alea iacta est” and its English translation, “The die is cast” are actually mistranslations.

To fully understand and appreciate this comic and quote, you will need to understand the context surrounding the quote. Why did Caesar say that? He was marching his army to Rome, and the Rubicon River represented the point of no return. Once he crossed the river, it meant that he had started a civil war, and there was absolutely no turning back. The idea of crossing the point of no return, the guts to move forward and burn the only path home, are represented in this iconic statement: “Let the die be cast”.

In real life and in business, there are times when we face points like this. We have the choice to do something life-changing; something where we will succeed spectacularly, or crash and burn. Once we have started on this life-changing path, there is no turning back. We don’t control the outcomes in life, but we do control our options and our actions.

Have you have ever come to a point in your life where it’s the right time to shout out loud “let the die be cast!” and advance forwards? Let me know in the comments below.