In 49 BCE, the Roman Republic was hanging onto its existence by a thread.
Politics in Rome had always been nasty and spiteful, but over the previous century in particular, things had slid so far away from the values of the Republic itself so as to make a mockery of those republican values. Wealthy and powerful men exerted nearly all of the political influence, often being perceived as above the law.
While The uneasy alliance between Julius Caesar and Pompey was unraveling, there was still Roman law and tradition, which forbade any general from crossing back into Italy while commanding an army. The idea was to disband the fighting force to show that your intentions were peaceful before entering the city.
Pompey knew this, of course, and used it to full political advantage. He had convinced the senate to order Caesar to return, knowing full well that they could then arrest him once he was in Rome.
Even still, the Roman law and its traditions still stood, if on shaky ground, as Caesar an…
