In 49 BCE, Julius Caesar faced a choice: give up his military command and face trial in Rome, or commit treason by invading Italy. By leading his 13th Legion across the Rubicon River, the northern boundary of Italy, he broke the law that prohibited a general from leading troops into the home territory. He famously uttered the phrase 'Alea iacta est' (The die is cast), acknowledging that there was no turning back. This act sparked a civil war against his former ally Pompey the Great and the Roman Senate. Caesar’s victory effectively ended the Roman Republic, as he was eventually declared 'Dictator for Life.' Although he was assassinated by senators seeking to 'save' the Republic, his death paved the way for his heir, Augustus, to become the first Roman Emperor, forever changing the structure of Western government from a representative system to an autocratic one.