Beware The Ides of March Beware The Ides of March Question: What are the Ides of March? Answer: In the ancient Roman calendar, each of the 12 months of the year had what was called an "ides." In March, May, July and October, the "ides" fell on the 15th day. In every other month, the "ides" fell on the 13th. The word "ides" is derived from the Latin: "to divide." The "ides" were originally meant to mark the full moon - but since solar based calendar months and lunar based months are of different lengths, the "ides" quickly lost their original intent and purpose. As for the ominous warning, "Beware the Ides of March," it originated with the Roman ruler, Julius Caesar, who was assassinated on the Ides of March - March 15, 44 B.C.E. (Old Style). If you've heard the ominous warning, then it's most likely due to William Shakespeare and his famous play, Julius Caesar.

The warning was made famous in Shakespeare's play, when an unidentified soothsayer tells Caesar, who is on his way to the Senate (and his death), "Beware the ides of March." Caesar replies, "He is a dreamer; let us leave him. Pass." Unidentified Soothsayer Was The Roman Astrologer Spurinna According to historical writer C.J.S. Thompson, M.B.E., Ph.D., in The Mystery and Romance of Astrology, 1929, the unidentified soothsayer from Shakespeare's play was a Roman astrologer by the name of Spurinna. According to Thompson - and confirmed in Plutarch's account of the story written in 75 A.D. and Suetonius in 110 A.D. - it was sometime prior to the fateful day of March 15 that Spurinna had first given Caesar the famous warning to "beware of the Ides of March." The astrologer, Spurinna, had previously warned Caesar that on "the Ides of March," he would be in great danger. If, however, Julius Caesar took care on that one day - then all would be well.

The Prediction This ominous prediction by the astrologer Spurinna shouldn't have come as too much of a shock and/or revelation for Caesar. It was no secret to anyone, including Caesar, that he'd been making some pretty serious political enemies in recent times, The seemingly precise timing of the prediction, the Ides of March, was likely based on the fact that Julius Caesar had plans to next attend the Roman Senate on March 15 and then leave Rome on March 18th for a military campaign, leaving all of his many political enemies far behind him. According To Plutarch According to Plutarch's account, Caesar had previously made the wise decision to stay within the safety of his bedroom chambers on the 15th of March. However, Caesar's "friend" Decimus (Albinus) Brutus (not Marcus Brutus) managed to convince him that the astrologer's warnings were nothing more than superstitious foolishness. So Julius Caesar decided to attend the Senate on the 15th of March. On his way to the Senate, Caesar "accidentally" met up with the astrologer.

Upon seeing Spurinna, Caesar confidently informed the astrologer: "The Ides of March are come." Spurinna reportedly replied, "Yes, they are come, but they are not past." Later that day - on March 15, 44 B.C.E (Old Style) - Caesar's enemies assassinated him in the Pompey theater, at the foot of Pompey's statue, where the Roman Senate was meeting that day in the temple of Venus. Alternative Theory An alternative (albeit dubious) theory, as to why Caesar might have "seemingly" ignored the ominous warning of the astrologer Spurinna, is that perhaps Julius Caesar got the dates of the warning mixed up. In March, May, July and October, the "ides" fell on the 15th day. In every other month, the "ides" fell on the 13th. He may have been thinking that the Ides of March fell on the 13th rather than the 15th. Using this theory, forgetful Caesar would have been very careful and stayed home on the 13th of March, but on the 15th of March his guard was down.

6 myths about the Ides of March and killing Caesar - Vox 6 myths about the Ides of March and killing Caesar This is what most of us know about the death of Julius Caesar, half-remembered from movies and plays: Some soothsayer said, "Beware the Ides of March." A few idealistic Romans decided to win back Rome for the people. Caesar got stabbed by Brutus with a big sword, said "Et tu, Brute?" and died nobly. All of that is wrong. In major and minor ways, a lot of us misunderstand the death of Julius Caesar on March 15, 44 BC. That's why I talked to Barry Strauss , a Cornell classics and history professor. He's the author of The Death of Caesar , a new book that chronicles one of history's most infamous assassinations and dispels a lot of half-remembered myths. A lot of those myths come from Shakespeare, who relied exclusively on Plutarch to paint his picture of Rome. But Strauss uses Plutarch in concert with other ancient sources like Nicolaus of Damascus, Suetonius, Appian, and Cassius Dio, as well as the work of other scholars.

Weighed against one another, together they form a more complete picture of Rome at the time — and one that happens to bust a lot of myths. Myth 1: A soothsayer told Caesar, "Beware the Ides of March" An illustration of the soothsayer from an edition of Shakespeare's play. (Universal Images Group/ Getty Images ) The Ides of March comes from the ides , a term the Romans used to note the middle of a month. Every month has an ides around the middle (as well as a calends at the beginning of the month and nones eight days before the ides). The Ides of March feels special for a couple of reasons: it's the day Caesar was murdered, and it's the subject of a soothsayer's spooky prophecy in William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar . The truth is actually more interesting. For one, we know who the soothsayer was and what he really said: he was named Spurinna, and he was from Etruria. That's important, because Etruscans were known to specialize in divination. Cicero's letters , Plutarch, and Suetonius all confirm his high status.

As notably, Spurinna's warning to Caesar was more complex — and more accurate — than the type of prophecy most modern skeptics would dismiss. "They have a lot of contacts," Strauss says, "and they're people who know what's going on." That would have made Spurinna's prophecy a more frightening bellwether of the anti-Caesar sentiment in Rome. Soothsayers could poll the elites, and the elites did not like Caesar. On February 15, Spurinna said he found a bad omen: a bull without a heart (it's unclear if the bull was a genetic abnormality, a shocking sign, or a soothsayer's poetic license). After that, Spurinna told Caesar to beware for the next 30 days, not just on the Ides of March. It wasn't a lucky prediction but rather a calculated assessment of Rome's political climate. The end date of the prophecy wasn't a coincidence, either — on March 18, Caesar was going to embark on a multiyear military campaign that would take him away from Rome. The assassins had to kill him before he left.

Myth 2: All the conspirators were idealists who wanted to restore Rome to the people There was idealism involved: Caesar was turning the Roman republic into a dictatorship and making himself a king. But there were also deeply personal motives. Self-Interest drove the conspirators to kill caesar "I think politicians don't have a firewall between ideals and practical benefits," Strauss says. "They think what's good for the country is also good for themselves. The senators who joined the conspiracy against Caesar can sincerely say he was a threat to the republic and to them and their way of life." Before Caesar, Roman nobility and military were free to plunder the provinces they ruled. But under Caesar, Rome controlled the process and sent inspectors to check up on everything, so they could only exploit their provinces under Caesar's supervision. That slight was compounded by Caesar's rebranding of political real estate in his name — he built statues in his image and renamed monuments for himself. He brought power to his family by giving them political appointments and honorifics, and drew allies outside the charmed circle of Roman nobility, like his soldiers and leaders in the provinces. "People in the old nobility feel cut out," Strauss says.

In addition to concern for the average Roman, self-interest drove the conspirators to kill Caesar. There weren't just political and financial grudges, either. Brutus' mother, Servilia, had once had an affair with Caesar, and there were even rumors that Brutus was Caesar's son (for the record, Strauss thinks that's highly unlikely). Servilia was also co-conspirator Cassius' mother-in-law. Myth 3: Brutus was the assassins' ringleader and Caesar's best buddy An artist's depiction of Brutus. (Archive Photos/ Getty Images ) As far as epic betrayals go, we tend to imagine Brutus in the same league as Judas . In reality, that infamy should be reserved for someone called Decimus. Caesar trusted Decimus much more than he trusted Brutus — and that made his betrayal more shocking. Misspelled in Shakespeare's Julius Caesar as "Decius," Decimus was much more important than most of us realize. "There were three leaders of the assassins' conspiracy," Strauss says.

"Brutus, Cassius, and Decimus." Shakespeare made Decimus a minor character because he mostly used Plutarch as a source, who gave Decimus short shrift. But all the other ancient sources think Decimus was key, and, according to Strauss, "he's the only assassin that could really be called close to Caesar." Decimus dined with Caesar the night before his assassination and convinced Caesar to leave his house the next morning (he was staying home because his wife, Calpurnia, was worried). Decimus' betrayal followed an adult life spent at Caesar's side. Brutus, however, had often fought against Caesar, like when he took Pompey's side against Caesar in the Civil War that lasted from 49 to 45 BC. He only came over to Caesar's side after a handsome cash award and profitable political appointment. Myth 4: Caesar was killed with swords in a grand Senate room Jean-Léon Gérôme's painting of the assassination of Caesar. ( Wikimedia Commons ) Thanks to epic paintings like Jean-Léon Gérôme's The Death of Caesar, we imagine a grand scene for a grand death. But the painting gets some things seriously wrong.

In reality, the assassination happened in the Portico of Pompey, a Senate house with a statue of Pompey (Caesar's enemy) inside. "It would have been a nicely decorated room," Strauss says, "it's just not cavernous." Imagine the British House of Commons instead of the grand room in Gérôme's painting. And the assassins almost certainly didn't have giant swords — after all, it was a surprise attack. They probably snuck in daggers to kill Caesar. Myth 5: Caesar got stabbed and died nobly, saying "Et tu, Brute" This might be the most powerful myth of all. And it shortchanges Caesar. This wasn't a noble death — it was probably a scrappy fight for his life. "et tu, brute" is a renaissance invention "Caesar is a soldier," Strauss says. "If you stab this guy, he's going to try to fight back." He may have stabbed one of the attackers with a stylus , and most of the sources say he tried to get up and escape. Unfortunately for Caesar, the conspirators were trained soldiers, so they'd formed a tight perimeter. "They know how you carry out an ambush," Strauss says.

"I believe some of the senators were assigned the job of crowd control." As far as what Caesar said when he died, "Et tu, Brute" is a Renaissance invention. But Caesar did perform a few resonant gestures. He tried to escape, like any soldier would, but when death was near, he covered his face before he died. It may have been an attempt to preserve his dignity. Myth 6: The assassins failed to win the hearts of the Roman people An artist's depiction of Mark Antony's funeral oration for Caesar. (Archive Images/ Getty Images ) Without getting into the politics of the Second Triumvirate and imperial rule that followed Caesar's death, the assassins ultimately failed to restore a meaningful republic to Rome. But it's not because they failed to win over the people — they failed to win over the soldiers. The assassins had prepared for the military consequences of the assassination — they had gladiators stationed nearby to help protect them after the fallout from the murder. Led by Decimus, they even stationed gladiators outside the Senate House to protect themselves. But the conspirators miscalculated the political fallout of the assassination.

In his will, Caesar had the ancient equivalent of a poison pill — a massive payout to Roman citizens and soldiers, which fractured support for the conspirators. The Roman republic had been in trouble for nearly a century, ripped apart by civil wars and ruled by armies. Caesar used cash to consolidate power even after death. "Rome is a military city," Strauss says. "On the outskirts of the city, Caesar has a legion ... and at various places around the city, Caesar's veterans have gathered to begin a three-year war against the Persian empire at the east. Some are there to show their support, but others are there because Caesar is there to lead them to new lands." Those soldiers wanted a significant payout from whoever was going to rule Rome, and Brutus and Cassius didn't pull it off in time to secure support. That led Rome to eventually fall back in the hands of emperor Octavian (later called Augustus) instead of reverting to a republic. In a way, that may be the biggest myth about the Ides of March and the assassination of Caesar. Yes, Caesar was killed. But his influence lived on — through him and through the Caesarism that prospered for centuries after his death. Was this article helpful?

March 15 Is the Ides of March–But What Does That Mean? - Daily Buzz March 15 Is the Ides of March–But What Does That Mean? By Alexandra Gekas Mar 15, 2011 When the soothsayer told Julius Cesar "Beware, the Ides of March," he did not heed her warning, joking "Well, the Ides of March have come," to which she replied "Ay, they have come but they are not gone," according to Shakespeare. And it was on that day, March 15, 44 BC, that Cesar was stabbed to death by members of the Roman Senate including his old friend Marcus Junius Brutus. But even before Cesar's assassination, the Ides of March–like the Ides of May, July and October–was celebrated by the Romans as the day of the month's first full moon, as well as the day they celebrated Mars, the God of war. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below Today, the Ides of March is still remembered for that day so long ago, when the assassination of a great leader changed the world, according to Calvin Lawrence Jr. and Christina Caron with ABC News .

And it is also celebrated as the spring equinox. Modern observance continues with remembrance of the 1848 Hungarian revolution against the Hapsburg dynasty and a toga run in Rome to honor Cesar. To celebrate the Ides of March, check our our video montage of Shakespeare plays in film . - Alexandra Gekas, Associate Editor Should You Beware Of The Ides Of March? | Care2 Causes Should You Beware of the Ides of March? About Kristina Follow Kristina at @ autismvox March 15 is the Ides of March , a date many know about thanks to Shakespeare’s playï¿½”Julius Caesar,” in which the Roman general and politician Julius Caesar is told by a soothsayer to “beware the Ides of March.” It does seem that he should have: in 44 B.C.E., on the Ides of March, Caesar was assasinated at a meeting of the Roman Senate in the Curia Pompeii . As many as 60 conspirators, fearing that he was on the verge of assuming the powers of a king, stabbed Caesar with daggers. What Are “Ides”?

Prior to Caesar’s assassination, saying “Ides of March” –ï¿½Idus Martiae in Latin –ï¿½didn’t have the sinister ring, though they were a special date in theï¿½ ancient Roman calendar . The Romans used aï¿½rather complicated system of dating. There were twelve months but no weeks as we know them. Dates were determined by counting backwards from three fixed points, the Nones (the 5th or 7th), the Ides (the 13th or 15th) and the Kalends (the first day of the following month).ï¿½ï¿½In eight months, the Ides fall on the 13th; besides March, the Ides are on the 15th in May, July and October. For instance, St. Patrick’s Day would be, in the Roman calendar system, “16 days before the Kalends of April” (a.d. xvi Kalendis Aprilis). The Ides of each month were sacred to the supreme Roman god, Jupiter, with the chief priest leading the “Ides sheep” up the Sacred Way in Rome to be sacrificed.

The Roman calendar was a lunar calendar and the timing of the Ides was determined ï¿½by the full moon. As March was originally the first month in the Roman calendar, the Ides would have been the first full month of a new year. How the Ides of March Came To Mean “Assassination” After ï¿½Caesar’s death, the “Ides of March” indeedï¿½ came to have the meaning of “assassination.” According to theï¿½1st century C.E. Greek historian Plutarch, at the religious festival of the Lupercalia (February 13-15), Caesar had made a public show of refusing a diadem of kingship presented by Mark Antony. Many were suspicious of this gesture as Caesar was already dictator, a special position giving someone absolute authority. ï¿½It was the case that, three days after the Ides, Caesar was to leave for Parthia (in modern day Afghanistan and Pakistan) to revenge the death of his fellow politician Crassus nine years before. Had he been successful, he would have gained more popularity and more power.

Fearing for the libertas (freedom) of the Roman Republic, Brutus (who was said to be descended from another Brutus, who had helped to expel the hated last king of Rome, Tarquinius Superbus, in 509 B.C.E.) and the other conspirators killed Caesar before a statue of Pompey, his late political and military rival. Brutus had been trusted by Caesar and some report that his last words were kai su, teknon, ancient Greek for “you too, child” — the last word indicating their former close connections. (Shakespeare’s famous et tu, Brute, is a Latin version of the Greek that Caesar and Brutus likely, as educated Romans, spoke in). According to Plutarch, the soothsayer had told Caesar before March 15, 44 B.C.E., that he would be in great danger until the Ides of March had passed. He passed the same soothsayer on his way to the Curia Pompeii and noted that the Ides had come.

“Yes,” was the response, “but they have not yet gone.” Other portents — asked the night of March 14 what he thought the best death for a man was, Caesar responded that this would be one that was sudden and unexpected; his wife, Calpurnia, dreamed of him with blood streaming from his body — are reported by ancient historians. Killing Caesar by no means saved the Roman Republic, which had been torn by political conflict and civil war for the past hundred years. Caesar (who was from an aristocratic family) was not popular with the Senators, but he had wide popular support and civil war continued for 13 more years. At the end of this, Caesar’s own adopted son, Octavian, had become the Emperor Augustus and Rome was once, in effect if not in name, under the rule of an absolute leader — a king. A Few Other Things That Have Happened on the Ides of March Since most of us are more in the position of the plebs, the Latin word for the “99 percent,” we’ve most likely no reason to fear 60 conspirators attacking us on March 15.

The Smithsonian magazine does note a few other events that have happened on that date in history: the abdication ofï¿½Czar Nicholas II of Russia, ending aï¿½304-year-old royal dynasty; a recordï¿½73.62 inches of rain falling in one day on theï¿½Indian Ocean island of La Rï¿½union in 1952; a 1988 report from NASA that the ozone layer was disappearing at three times the rate predicted; a 2003 announcement from the World Health Organization of a “mysterious respiratory disease” that would become known asï¿½SARS (Sudden Acute Respiratory Syndrome). It has to just be a coincidence that more than 6,000 dead pigs were found in a river in Shanghai?! Related Care2 Coverage What Are the Ides in the Ides of March? | Dictionary.com Blog Home » History » Literature and Arts » What Are the Ides in the Ides of March? What Are the Ides in the Ides of March? March 14, 2014 by: Dictionary.com 64 Comments March 15th marks a very inauspicious anniversary.

Like a black cat crossing your path, the Ides of March has become a metaphor for impending doom. How did a day that was once celebrated by the Romans become so heavily cloaked in superstition? The Ides of March is a phrase derived from the Latin idus, a term marking the 15th day of March, July and October as well as the 13th day of other months in the Roman calendar year, and the Latin martii, “March,” which is derived from the Latin Mars, the Roman god of war. The “ide” marks the halfway point of the month—most likely alluding to the day of the full moon. Apparently, devised by Romulus, the mythical founder of Rome, the early Roman calendar cited other dates of the month by counting backwards from the kalends (1st day of the month), kones (the 7th day of March, May, July and October) and of course, the ides. Once a celebratory day dedicated to the Roman god, Mars (complete with a military parade) the backstabbing of Julius Caesar in 44 B.C. cast a dark cloud. Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Julius Caesar immortalized this dark moment.

Written by William Shakespeare around 1599, Julius Caesar portrays the assassination of the Roman dictator by a group of conspirators. After ignoring the warnings of a soothsayer, a person who professes to foretell events, who uttered the phrase “Beware the Ides of March,” Caesar is stabbed 23 times in the back. Thus, the same man who brought us the month of July involuntarily inaugurated the phrase “ backstabbing .” Beware the ides of March - eNotes Shakespeare Quotes Beware the ides of March Caesar: Who is it in the press that calls on me? I hear a tongue shriller than all the music Cry "Caesar!" Speak, Caesar is turn'd to hear. Soothsayer: Beware the ides of March. Caesar: Read on Owl Eyes This eText is now on Owl Eyes. Clicking this link will open a new window. It is Lupercalia, an ancient Roman religious holiday. Caesar, the Roman dictator, makes his appearance before the "press" (crowd) in the streets. From out of the crowd, a soothsayer issues his famous warning.

And Caesar, a very superstitious man, isn't the sort to take a soothsayer lightly. The "ides" of March is the fifteenth; which day of the month the ides is depends on a complicated system of calculation Caesar himself established when he instituted the Julian calendar, a precursor of our own. The ides of January, for example, is the thirteenth; the ides of March, May, July and October is the fifteenth. The importance of the ides of March for Caesar is that it is the day he will be assassinated by a group of conspirators, including Brutus and Cassius. Despite numerous and improbable portents—the soothsayer's warning, some fearsome thundering, his wife's dreams of his murder, and so on—Caesar ventures forth on the ides to meet his doom. Shakespeare borrowed this scene, along with other details of Caesar's demise, from Plutarch's Life of Julius Caesar. An English translation was readily available, but its precise phrasings weren't quite dramatic enough for Shakespeare's purposes.

Where he has the soothsayer declaim, "Beware the Ides of March," the more prosaic original notes merely that the soothsayer warns Caesar "to take heed of the day of the Ides of March." March 15 is the Ides of March-no need to beware March 15 is the Ides of March-no need to beware March 15 is the Ides of March, but there's no need to beware it. Post to Facebook March 15 is the Ides of March-no need to beware March 15 is the Ides of March, but there's no need to beware it. Check out this story on USATODAY.com: CancelSend A link has been sent to your friend's email address. Posted! A link has been posted to your Facebook feed. 7 To find out more about Facebook commenting please read the Conversation Guidelines and FAQs March 15 is the Ides of March-no need to beware Elizabeth Weise , USATODAY Published 8:03 a.m. ET March 13, 2014 | Updated 1:30 a.m.

ET March 16, 2014 A painting by Vincenzo Camuccini from 1805 showing the death of Julius Caesar. The painting now hangs in the National Gallery of Modern Art in Rome. (Photo: Vincenzo Camuccini) 2298 CONNECT TWEET LINKEDIN 7 COMMENTEMAILMORE SAN FRANCISCO — March 15 is the Ides of March. But there's no need to be on guard. Julius Caesar probably should have been. But then, he blew off the soothsayer who told him to "beware the Ides of March" in the first act of Shakespeare's play. You might remember from English class that things didn't go so well for him. Out in the Twitterverse, posters are using #idesofmarch as a way to remember actor Philip Seymour Hoffman, who died of a drug overdose last month.

Hoffman was in George Clooney's convoluted 2011 political drama "The Ides of March." Though Bridget Hughes had one of the best tweets so far: "Note to self: On Saturday March 15th, order a Caesar salad, lure it into a false sense of security, then stab it 23 times # IdesofMarch " All because of a line dashed off 415 years ago. What if Shakespeare's soothsayer had simply said, "Watch out a month from now!" Would anybody remember the line? "Ides of March" has a better ring to it. And yet all it means is "halfway through the month." Ides comes from an old Latin verb iduare, which meant to divide. It was the Roman term for the day that came in the middle of each month. Every month has an Ides. March had 31 days, so the Ides of March is on March 15. Julius actually got several warnings. Later on in the play there's a big storm. To find out what it means, he sends a servant to get priests to sacrifice animals and read the omens in their entrails.

Their message is even clearer: Don't go out. In best horror movie fashion he ignores them and, like an idiot, goes out. So it's no surprise when Brutus and some other conspirators waylay him on the steps of the Capitol and stab him to death. But unless it's 44 B.C., you're a Roman Consul and ignoring omens right and left, you should be just fine. 2298 CONNECT TWEET LINKEDIN 7 COMMENTEMAILMORE Read or Share this story: NEVER MISS OUT Tech Be the earliest adopter. Know what’s in, what’s out, and what’s awesome before anyone else does, Monday-Friday. Ides of March: What Is It? Why Do We Still Observe It? Ides of March: What Is It? Why Do We Still Observe It? View Images A later artist's conception of the funeral of Julius Caesar, who was killed on the Ides of March in 44 B.C. Illustration by C. Vottrier, Mary Evans Picture Library/Alamy Caesar: The ides of March are come. Soothsayer: Aye, Caesar, but not gone.

—Julius Caesar, Act III, Scene 1 Related Content The Case for and Against Daylight Saving Time Thanks to Shakespeare's indelible dramatization, March 15—also called the Ides of March—is forever linked with the 44 B.C. assassination of Julius Caesar, and with prophecies of doom. "That line of the soothsayer, 'Beware the ides of March,' is a pithy line, and people remember it, even if they don't know why," said Georgianna Ziegler, head of reference at Washington, D.C.'s Folger Shakespeare Library. Until that day Julius Caesar ruled Rome . The traditional Republican government had been supplanted by a temporary dictatorship, one that Caesar very much wished to make permanent. But Caesar's quest for power spawned a conspiracy to have him killed, and on the Ides of March, a group of prominent Romans brought him to an untimely end in the Senate House.

It Wasn't Just Caesar Who Paid the Price on Ides of March Aside from its historical connection, the concept of the Ides of March would have resonated with English citizens in 1599, the year Shakespeare's play Julius Caesar was probably performed, Ziegler said. "This whole business of the Ides of March and timekeeping in the play would have had a strong impact on audiences," she said. "They were really struck by the differences between their Julian calendar [a revision of the Roman calendar created by Caesar] and the Gregorian calendar kept in Catholic countries on the continent." Because the two calendars featured years of slightly different lengths, they had diverged significantly by the late 16th century and were several days apart. (For more on complications caused by the Julian and Gregorian calendars, see "Leap Year 2012: Why We Need February 29." ) In Roman times the Ides of March was mostly notable as a deadline for settling debts. That calendar featured ides on the 15th in March, May, July, and October or on the 13th in the other months.

The word's Latin roots mean "divide," and the date sought to split the month, originally at the rise of the full moon. But because calendar months and the lunar cycle are slightly out of sync, this connection was soon lost. Ides of March Assassins: Heroes or Murderers? The Ides of March took on special significance after Caesar's assassination—but observance of the anniversary at the time varied among Roman citizens. "How they felt depended on their political position," said Philip Freeman, a classicist at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, and the author of Julius Caesar. "Some were thrilled that Caesar had died, and some were horrified," he said. The debate about Caesar's fate has extended through the ages and was taken up by some major literary figures. In Dante's Inferno, for example, Caesar is in Limbo, a relatively pleasant place in hell reserved for virtuous non-Christians. "But Brutus [one of the leaders of the assassination] is down in the very center of hell with Judas, being munched on by Satan—it's about as bad as you can get," Freeman said. The Folger library's Ziegler thinks the Bard had a more balanced view.

"I think Shakespeare shows both of them as being humans with their own weaknesses and strong points," she said. Whether they were heroes or murderers, the real-life Ides of March assassins were subjected to less than pleasant outcomes. "Within a couple of years Brutus and [fellow assassin] Cassius were dead," Freeman noted. "They were not able to bring back the Republic, and really what they did was usher in more of a permanent dictatorship under the future Roman emperors—the opposite of what they intended." Comment on This Story "Beware the Ides of March" (Shakespeare) "Beware the Ides of March" (Shakespeare) "Beware the Ides of March" (Shakespeare) On the Roman calendar the Ides of March corresponds to March 15 - the day that has become notorious for the assassination of Julius Caesar in 44 BCE. Caesar was killed because his political opponents feared that he would use his power to overthrow the Senate and declare himself king of Rome, destroying the Republic. Caesar had been a triumphant general with campaigns in Gaul (as any Latin student knows), Egypt (think Cleopatra) and Britain, and had extended Rome's dominance across Europe and the Mediterranean region.

He had also used his armies to win a civil war that left him with unrivaled military might and political influence. According to Plutarch, a soothsayer had warned Caesar that harm would come to him by the Ides of March, as the line in Shakespeare's play dramatizes. Caesar was stabbed 23 times by a group of conspirators who intercepted him on his way to the Senate that day. Discover the political intrigue that was ancient Rome: The Triumph of Caesar by Steven Saylor Saylor's Roma Sub Rosa series covers the Roman Republic in the times of Caesar, Pompey, Cato, and Cicero, as experienced by Gordianus the Finder, an ancient-world private eye who is employed by the rich and powerful elite for his competence and discretion. In this installment, the Roman civil war has come to its conclusion - Pompey is dead, Egypt is firmly under the control of Cleopatra (with the help of Rome's legions), and for the first time in many years Julius Caesar has returned to Rome itself. Appointed by the Senate as Dictator, the city abounds with rumors asserting that Caesar wishes to be made King - the first that Rome has had in centuries.

And that not all of his opposition has been crushed. Caesar's wife, Calpurnia, hires Gordianus to investigate her fears for Caesar's life. "Fast-paced action, a deeply realized main character, and accessible history make this series first-rate on all fronts." (Booklist) The Gods of War by Conn Iggulden Part of Iggulden's Emperor series, and set in Rome in 53 BCE, the novel sets up the confrontation between Caesar and his enemies in the Republic. Fresh from victory in Gaul, Julius Caesar leads battle-hardened legions across the fabled Rubicon river - threatening Rome itself and initiating civil war. Even the master strategist Pompey is caught unprepared by the strike, and forced to abandon his city. The armies of Rome will face each other at last, led by the two greatest generals ever to walk the seven hills. Even as the he extends his military dominance, Caesar also cultivates political allies like Marcus Brutus, Mark Antony, Octavian, and, of course, Cleopatra.

"Brimming with military, political, and romantic intrigue, this action-packed epic provides a breathtaking panorama of one of the most exciting episodes in the ancient world and breathes new life into a legendary historical figure." (Booklist) Caesar's Women by Colleen McCullough This is the fourth installment of McCullough's Masters of Rome series which follows the decline of the Republic and the rise of Julius Caesar. Caesar repeatedly foils the plots of his adversaries as he amasses power and influence, essentially ruling Rome as a king without a crown. Throughout his climb, he depends on the women in his life for support and advantage. He relies on his astute mother for advice, marries strategically, seduces the wives of his rivals, and dangles the hand of his beloved daughter in matrimony as bait for political alliances.

"With great brio, and ample attention to Roman customs and rites, as well as to the religious, sexual and social institutions of the day, including slavery, McCullough captures the driven, passionate soul of ancient Rome." (Publishers Weekly) Ides of March 2017 - Wednesday March 15, 2017 Ides of March 2017 Ides of March 2017 is on Wednesday, March 15, 2017: wat is the ides of march? Wednesday, March 15, 2017 is Ides of March 2017. The Ides of March is a 2011 American political drama film directed by George Clooney from a screenplay written by Clooney, along with Grant Heslov and Beau Willimon. The Ides of March is a 2011 American political drama film directed by George Clooney from a screenplay written by Clooney, along with Grant Heslov and Beau Willimon. The Ides of March (the "middle of March") is the 15th day of the Roman month of Martius and is most closely associated with the assassination of Julius Caesar.

The ides of March is March 15th. This was the day that Julius Caesar was assassinated, hence the phrase "beware the ides of March" (I believe it is a Shakespeare reference). What does the Ides of March mean?? Ides of March is March 15. It is from Roman history. Julius Caesar was warned by a psychic/witch/soothsayer that he would die on the Ides of March. He ignored her and was assassinated by a group of senators, including Brutus, who he thought of as a son. They chose to assassinate him as a group so they could each say it was someone else who struck the fatal blow. This story was the basis for the Shakespeare play, Julius Caesar. The quote,'Beware the Ides of March' is from the play. what are the ides of march? The "Ides of March" is the 15th of March. In the play "Julius Ceasar" by my man Bill Shakespeare, Ceasar is told "Beware the Ides of March" That day he is stabbed..multiple times... to death.

According to this website before the play saying the "Ides of ...(March, April ) was no big deal ...it was a easy way of saying March 15. Now saying "The Ides" has a scary tone... (Is it a coinicendence that Tax day is on the "Ides" of April???) Also on this date Wednesday, March 15, 2017...

Question: According to Shakespeare, who was told to "beware the Ides of March"?
Answer: Julius Caesar