Greek tragedy will run and run

Bargain staves off threat of Greek exit, but does little to inspire belief in the eurozone

David Rowe

Upon crossing the Rubicon in January of 49BC, Julius Caesar is reported to have uttered a Greek (not Latin) phrase commonly translated as "The die is cast".¹ This does not mean "The metal template has been moulded". A better translation would be "Let the die be cast", or as Colleen McCullough rendered it in her massive Masters of Rome series, "Let the dice fly". Few words could better characterise the motivations behind the emphatic No vote in the Greek bailout referendum.

Greek prime minister