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Lot Essay
Westall's painting illustrates lines 185-93 of Book 1 of Lucan's Pharsalia, which was left unfinished at his death in Rome on 30 April A.D. 65.
'Now near the Banks of Rubicon he stood:
When lo! as he survey'd the narrow Flood,
Amidst its dusty Horrors of the Night,
A wondrous vision stood confest in sight.
Her awful Head Rome's rev'rend Image seas'd,
Trembling and sad the Matron Form appear'd;
A tow'ry Crown her heavy Temples Bound,
... Then groaning , thus the mournful Silence broke.
Presumptuous Men! Oh whither do you run?
...Here to your utmost Barrier are you come.
She said; and sank within the closing Shade.
Astonishment and Dread the Chief invade;
Stiff rose his starting Hair, he stood dismay'd,
And on the Bank his slackening Steps were stay'd.'
(from the translation by Nicholas Rowe, 1718)
The illustrated verses describe the turning point of Julius Caesar's return to Rome to overthrow Pompey. The Rubicon was the border between Cisalpine Gaul, Caesar's province, and Rome. By law no Roman General could enter Rome at the head of any army and by crossing the Rubicon Caesar had actively entered into a war.
'Now near the Banks of Rubicon he stood:
When lo! as he survey'd the narrow Flood,
Amidst its dusty Horrors of the Night,
A wondrous vision stood confest in sight.
Her awful Head Rome's rev'rend Image seas'd,
Trembling and sad the Matron Form appear'd;
A tow'ry Crown her heavy Temples Bound,
... Then groaning , thus the mournful Silence broke.
Presumptuous Men! Oh whither do you run?
...Here to your utmost Barrier are you come.
She said; and sank within the closing Shade.
Astonishment and Dread the Chief invade;
Stiff rose his starting Hair, he stood dismay'd,
And on the Bank his slackening Steps were stay'd.'
(from the translation by Nicholas Rowe, 1718)
The illustrated verses describe the turning point of Julius Caesar's return to Rome to overthrow Pompey. The Rubicon was the border between Cisalpine Gaul, Caesar's province, and Rome. By law no Roman General could enter Rome at the head of any army and by crossing the Rubicon Caesar had actively entered into a war.