(ah-lee-ah, ack-ta, esst)
Caesar at the Rubicon
We’ve all played boards games, when it comes down to a throw of the dice. You might need a five, but there’s no controlling that. No matter how you hold, twist or turn, once the die leaves your hand, there’s no predicting the outcome. It’s “alea iacta est” in Latin, the die is cast. Whatever is going to happen, will happen.
The phrase comes from Julius Caesar. He was with his Legion, north of the Rubicon River, when the government in Rome ordered him to leave his army there and come home. If he crossed the Rubicon with his troops, he was in rebellion against the Republic. Caesar determined to challenge the government, and the Legion crossed the river. As he crossed, he said, “alea iacta est”. You probably know the rest of the story, Caesar became dictator of Rome, was assassinated, and ultimately the Republic fell and the Roman Empire began.
Out of My Hands
“Alea Iacta Est” became a traditional phrase for me in my first year at Denison University. In those days, a half-century ago (oh my gosh), passing most college courses depended on two tests, the mid-term and the final exams. After three months of attending class, those made all the difference. So studying was a big deal, with days of preparation for a timed two hours of writing in “blue books” for each class. My friends and I would spend late nights in vacant classrooms, smoking cigars (it was legal inside back then), reviewing and cramming texts and legal pads full of notes.
And finally, in the early morning hours when the last questions were answered (and the last cigars put out) we were done. As we walked back to our dorm at the far end of campus, we stopped outside of the Chapel, looked out over darkened Granville, and tossed pennies into the woods far down the hill, saying “Alea Iacta Est”. The die was cast; no more studying to do, just a few hours’ sleep and show up in class with sharpened pencils.
Fifty Years
The phrase has followed my life. After months of political campaigning, through the sleepless nights leading to the Monday before election day, there was a final moment: nothing more to do – “alea iacta est”. Then later, as a coach, after months of careful preparation, after the last practice (when rest was as important as prep), again, “alea iacta est”.
So here I am, a half-century later, on the Monday before what seems to me the most important Presidential election in American history. I am retired; no longer politicking, or teaching, or coaching. What I do now is write. I try to describe, persuade and educate. Yesterday I made my final argument for Kamala Harris (Yes, But What About).
But, as those who know me will recognize, I’ve always have one more thing to say. Here it is: I believe in America. I believe in the ultimate wisdom of the American people. As Lincoln (a Republican) said, “… You can’t fool all of the people, all of the time”. And I believe in the American experiment, the flawed but perfecting Constitution, that survived the Civil War and has, from the beginning, expanded the rights of our citizens. Even with setbacks and mistakes, we continue to become “…a more perfect union” (Madison, Democratic/Republican).
Believe in America
No matter the outcome, “(T)he American people, in their righteous might, will win through” (FDR, a Democrat). To use an old coaching expression, “the sun will come up”, no matters who wins on Tuesday (some old coach or campaign manager). And what we will have to do as Americans to save our “experiment in democracy” depends on the outcome. Either way, “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country” (JFK, a Democrat). If we fail this test, there will be a whole lot to do.
We’ve had nine years to study, and now it’s time. Time to take the test and see our grade. I’ve cast my vote, and this is the last essay before election day.
It’s not the wee hours of the morning, and I’m not throwing pennies at the neighbors. But “Alea Iacta est”; the die is cast, for me, and for America. Now we just wait for the results.
