At long last and after all these many years, I do believe I have finally found (and quite by chance) the play of Menander from which Caesar took his famous quote at the Rubicon. Yesterday, I discovered Open Library, which has an amazing number of out-of-copyright books, theses, etc. for perusing on-line and many of which can also be downloaded as PDFs or other e-book formats. Not every book can be read and not all of those can be downloaded, but it’s still an amazing resource.

Anyway, I came across a couple of different books on the fragments of Menander. Choosing somewhat at random Menander, the principal fragments, with an English translation by Francis G. Allinson (rather obviously by F.G. Allinson and published in the US by Putnam’s in 1921) and searching for “dice”, I found this from a play called The Peplos Bearer or The Flute Girl:

A: ...You will not marry, if you’ve any sense,
And leave this life of yours. For I who speak to you
Have married. Therefore I advise you: “Do not wed!”

B: The matter’s voted and decreed. Be cast the dice!

A: Well then, go on. But heaven send you come off safe.
On a sea of real troubles you’re embarking now –
No Libyan, no Aegean, nor Sicilian sea
Where three boats out of thirty may escape from wreck –
There is no married man who has been saved!

I think it is safe to assume that Caesar knew the context, although obviously B’s plans to marry aren’t relevant. Still I find the line The matter’s voted and decreed very interesting. The speaker has already made up his mind about the matter and isn’t going to listen to arguments against his decision. A’s comments afterward also may suggest something about how Caesar viewed his chances. In any case, here is some food for thought and discussion.