History, Latin, and America

by Jonathan Taylor
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Exclusive to The Libertarian Enterprise

           Other than boosting my SAT scores, I always wondered if my classes in Latin would ever help me out. Well, that and I can sound real demonic at Halloween by "speaking in tongues." I never imagined, however, that my state run education in a language that's been officially kicked to the proverbial corner, would lend me an insight on matters politic, here at the turn of the century, in these United States. Gracious, public schools may have done something right for a change, if for no other reason than that was where I first heard the saying "Those who don't learn from history are doomed to repeat it" and where this story first stuck in my head. I remember it even after most of my Latin, excepting a few colorful phrases, is long gone.
           Julius Caesar fought the Gallic wars from BC 58-50, a war for nothing less than the complete and total subjugation of the tribes of France and small parts of Spain and Germany to the overall machinations of the mighty Roman state. The Celtic (or Gallic, if you prefer) leader, Vercingetorix, was defeated not through superiority of arms or numbers, but rather through superior tactics for which he could not and was not prepared, and the unity of the Roman command as opposed to the fragmented and easily divided and conquered Celts. Having beaten the Celts into submission (and disarmed them, by the by), Caesar faced a new problem. No one really wanted his army, flush with victory, marching home with the most ambitious man the world had ever seen at its helm. They got this crazy idea he might decide to do the same thing to Julia - ummm ... Rome. Least thrilled of all the patricians of Rome was Caesar's partner in power, who decided he liked ruling alone just fine, thank you, no need to come home.
           One day in the year 49 BC, Caesar stood before the River Rubicon, which then marked the border between heretofore Celtic lands and the Motherland. Caesar gave the order to cross into Rome, not as a Conquering Hero, but as a hero, conquering. Caesar was to take the title of "Dictator for Life" by brute force. What, exactly, was that order?
           "Allea Iacta Est," or, "The dice are cast." Well, the man never was one for long speeches, after all. But, those words stuck in my head for a long time, as did the story of the Gallic wars.
           Caesar conquered the Celts, not because he was smarter, not because Romans were braver or better people or better armed or organized. Caesar invaded a country of warriors, with a vastly numerically inferior force, and came out victorious and a hero to future statists everywhere. How? Because he factionalized them, he introduced Roman culture slowly, and he then mopped up the piecemeal he had made from a once proud collection of people.
           Caesar then decided to take Rome by force. Was he satisfied with returning to Rome, a hero, beloved by his people? No, because he could wield more power if he were to march in and take over. He wasn't satisfied, even though the Gallic campaign insured him immortality, at least in the hearts of Latin students everywhere.
           And there was a point of no return, a point where the decision had to be made between what was tantamount to all out civil war and a peaceful return to the status quo, most likely sans Caesar.
           Modern day America, beware this piece of history I greatly fear we are heading towards. Divide and conquer, boil the frog slowly, these strategies were practiced by many throughout history before and after Caesar. But if you look, there is always a Krystalnacht, a Battle of Wounded Knee, or a Rubicon to be crossed. There is always a last chance for events to return to normal.
           Sadly, history teaches us not to let things get that far, because none of these examples end well for proponents of freedom. That�s because the nation�s fate is already sealed at that point. Such days, like the crossing of the Rubicon, are merely the death throes of freedom in a nation, the blow having come at some previous time. Without such a blow to freedom having already been administered, the actions of the tyrants throughout history would not have been conceivable. Until freedom is already dying, it is not possible for Caesar to cross the Rubicon, or even to consider it. What I greatly fear is how close America could be to a River Rubicon, just on the basis of one simple, historically proven fact: there are always those who would be tyrants, and are just looking for a nation that will submit to them. Every step towards absolutism we take, no matter how small or how well supported, leads us closer and closer to one we will not be able to step back from.
           Those who don�t learn from history are doomed to repeat it.
           Allea Iacta Est.

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