Beware the Ides of March!
March 15th 2009 19:53
Made famous by the Bard himself in Julius Caesar, "The Ides of March", or March 15, is a day for fulfilled prophesies of doom.
Julius Caesar ruled Rome until March 15, 44 B.C., and it was on that day that a group of prominent Romans brought him to an untimely end in the Senate House. The Conspiracy to assassinate Caesar was launched well in advance, and Caesar himself was warned by a Soothsayer to be mindful of danger on this day. "Beware the Ides of March" he was told, and indeed it was a fateful day for the Emperor.
In Caesar's time, however, March 15 had no particular evils attached. There was nothing perilous about the date. The Ides refers to the 15th day of the months of March, May, July, and October on the Roman Calendar, and the 13th day of the remaining months. It was actually a day of celebration in honor of the god Mars, and citizens would often be treated to a military parade and dancing. It was not until Shakespeare put pen to paper that the Ides took on a new meaning.
Today, few people observe the Ides of March, and those that do have taken its meaning and applied it to their own events. Most recently the group Anonymous used "Beware the Ides of March" as a warning to the religious group Scientology, in advance of their March 15 demonstration against the religion.
Fortunately for us, the Ides have come with little incident for most. However, remember the words of Julius Caesar on this day. He too felt confident he'd escaped harm. "The IIdes of March have come." he said to the soothsayer.
"Aye Caesar, but not gone" she replied.
“ET TU BRUTE!”
Julius Caesar ruled Rome until March 15, 44 B.C., and it was on that day that a group of prominent Romans brought him to an untimely end in the Senate House. The Conspiracy to assassinate Caesar was launched well in advance, and Caesar himself was warned by a Soothsayer to be mindful of danger on this day. "Beware the Ides of March" he was told, and indeed it was a fateful day for the Emperor.
In Caesar's time, however, March 15 had no particular evils attached. There was nothing perilous about the date. The Ides refers to the 15th day of the months of March, May, July, and October on the Roman Calendar, and the 13th day of the remaining months. It was actually a day of celebration in honor of the god Mars, and citizens would often be treated to a military parade and dancing. It was not until Shakespeare put pen to paper that the Ides took on a new meaning.
Today, few people observe the Ides of March, and those that do have taken its meaning and applied it to their own events. Most recently the group Anonymous used "Beware the Ides of March" as a warning to the religious group Scientology, in advance of their March 15 demonstration against the religion.
Fortunately for us, the Ides have come with little incident for most. However, remember the words of Julius Caesar on this day. He too felt confident he'd escaped harm. "The IIdes of March have come." he said to the soothsayer.
"Aye Caesar, but not gone" she replied.
Vincenzo Camuccini - The Ides of March
“ET TU BRUTE!”
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