

On passing through a village in the Alps, as attributed in Parallel Lives, by Plutarch, as translated by John Langhorne and William Langhorne (1836), p.I assure you I had rather be the first man here than the second man in Rome.The Civil War, Book III, 68 variant translation: "In war, events of importance are the result of trivial causes.".Fortune, which has a great deal of power in other matters but especially in war, can bring about great changes in a situation through very slight forces.Sed fortuna, quae plurimum potest cum in reliquis rebus tum praecipue in bello, parvis momentis magnas rerum commutationes efficit ut tum accidit.Written in a letter with which Caesar informed the Roman Senate of his victory over Vercingetorix in 52 BC.According to Lewis and Short ( Online Dictionary: alea, Lewis and Short at the Perseus Project. The Greek translates rather as " let the die be cast!", or "Let the game be ventured!", which would instead translate in Latin as iacta ālea estō. He was reportedly quoting the playwright Menander, specifically "Ἀρρηφόρῳ" ( Arrephoria, or "The Flute-Girl"), according to Deipnosophistae, Book 13, paragraph 8, saying «Ἀνερρίφθω κύβος» ( anerrhíphtho kúbos). He declared in Greek with loud voice to those who were present 'Let the die be cast' and led the army across. A contrasting account from Plutarch, Life of Pompey, 60.2.9:.By crossing the river, he had committed an invasion of Italy. The Rubicon river was the boundary of Gaul, the province Caesar had the authority to keep his army in. Said when crossing the river Rubicon with his legions on 10 January, 49 BC, thus beginning the civil war with the forces of Pompey.As quoted in Vita Divi Iuli (121 CE) by Suetonius, paragraph 33 ( Caesar.Inscription on the triumphal wagon reported in The Twelve Caesars by Suetonius, as translated by Robert Graves (1957).Variant translation: Came, Saw, Conquered.This is also reported to have been inscribed on one of the decorated wagons in the Pontic triumph in Lives of the Twelve Caesars, Julius, by Suetonius in Latin ( veni, vidi, vici). Written in a report to Rome 47 B.C., after conquering Pharnaces at Zela in Asia Minor in just five days, as quoted by Plutarch in Life of Caesar, a work written in Greek ( ἦλθον, εἶδον, ἐνίκησα). Fortune, which has a great deal of power in other matters but especially in war, can bring about great changes in a situation through very slight forces. Quotes Men willingly believe what they wish.
