The Ides of March

The 15th of March (tomorrow) was once known as 'The Ides' in Roman times and came from the Latin word 'idus' meaning 'half division' which indicated that it was half way through the month. It was the festival day of the Roman God of War, Mars and a military parade was usually held in his honour.

Its more sinister connotations derive from the fact that Julius Caesar was assasinated on the 15 March in 44 BC, by a group of Roman senators who stabbed him 23 times. A seer had predicted his death as being on the 15th March, hence the term in Shakespeare's play, 'Beware the Ides of March'. Here's hoping that the 15th will be a peaceful day for all.

The Ides of March

Today is the 'Ides of March', the day upon which Julius Caesar was murdered in 44BC. Caesar was said to have visited fortune teller on his way to the theatre of Pompey and was told that harm would not come to him later than the Ides of March. Caesar laughed and said the Ides had already come, to which the seer replied that they may have come but they were not yet over. This was an occasion famously captured by Shakespeare in his play, where Caesar is told, 'Beware the Ides of March'.

In actual fact the Ides simply referred to a monthly date which was sacred to the Roman God of War, Mars upon which a military parade was held. The Ides fell on the 15th day of the months of March, May, July and October, whilst the remainder of the year's Ides fell on the 13th.