How did the common English expression"Burned my Boats"originate.?

Question

We commonly say "I have burnt my boats" to mean that I have reached a point of no return or there is no turning back.From where it originates is what I am interested to know.

Answer 1

(1)The man who conqured Spain for the muslims, Tariq bin Ziyad ordered his soldiers to burn their boats as soon as they had reached Spain. That's how that expression originated..

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tariq_ibn-Ziyad

(2) On April 30, 711, the armies of Tariq landed at Gibraltar (the name Gibraltar is derived from the Arabic name Jabal Tariq , which means mountain of Tariq ). Upon landing, Tariq is said to have made the following speech, well known in the Arab world to his soldiers (supposedly after burning his boats according to some: There is nowhere to flee! The sea is behind you, and the enemy before you: so by God, you have only sincerity, bravery and patience.

Moorish armies swept through Iberia and, in the summer of 711, won a decisive victory when the Visigoth king Roderic was defeated and killed on July 19th at the Battle of Guadalete. Afterwards Tariq was made governor of Hispania.

http://www.parvez-video.com/islam_line.asp

Answer 2

In battle, the ancient Greeks developed a well-deserved reputation for bravery and determination. They were successful because they were well trained, well lead and most of all, well motivated. The Greek commanders were master motivators and knew how to instill commitment and prepare their soldiers for victory. For you see, once they landed on enemy shores, the Greek generals would give the order to “burn the boats.” Imagine the psychological impact on the soldiers as they watched their boats being set to the torch. Once their boats were burned, they realized that the only way they were going home was by conquering their enemy – there was no turning back.

Answer 3

One of the most famous incidents in exploration and conquest:


Cortes and the Burning of the Boats at Vera Cruz


In 1519, Capitan Hernando Cortes and a small army left the Spanish held island of Cuba and set out on one of the greatest conquests in the history of the world. Cortes was going to accomplish his goals no matter the consequences. He put to death some of those who opposed him, got himself appointed Capitan-General in order to get out from under Diego Velazquez’s authority, and even destroyed his fleet in an attempt to motivate his men to adapt to his at-all-costs attitude. The destruction of the ships has been widely studied and is still debated today. The dispute is not if he destroyed his ships, but how and to what extent.

Answer 4

The first three answers say it all