Upon reaching the river Rubico, which was the boundary of his
province, he stood in silence and lingered, reflecting, as we may
presume, on the magnitude of the risk. Then, like those who throw
themselves into a huge abyss from a precipice, closing the eyes of
calculation and wrapping himself up to meet the danger, he called out
in Greek to those who were present these words only, "Let the die be
cast," and took his army over. As soon as the report reached Rome, and
tumult and fear, such as were never known before, together with
consternation filled the city, the Senate immediately hurried in a
body to visit Pompeius, and the magistrates with them; but upon
Tullus[342] asking about an army and force, and Pompeius after some
delay saying in a tone of no great confidence, that he had the men in
readiness who had come from Caesar, and he thought he should soon be
able to get together those who had been before enrolled to the number
of thirty thousand, Tullus cried aloud, "You have deceived us,
Pompeius," and he advised to send commissioners to Caesar. One
Favonius,[343] in other respects no bad man, but who with his
self-will and insolence often supposed that he was imitating the bold
language of Cato, bade Pompeius strike the ground with his foot and
call up the troops which he promised. Pompeius mildly submitted to
this ill-timed sarcasm; and when Cato reminded him of what he had
originally predicted to him about Caesar, Pompeius replied that what
Cato had said was in truth more prophetic, but what he had done was of
a more friendly character.
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