THE IDES OF MARCH
By Maria Garcia Manzano, AEIC of The Quill
Photo Credits: Google Images
WHAT IS THE IDES OF MARCH?
If you have heard of the Ides of March, you probably know you are supposed to beware of them. But why? In ancient Rome, the Ides of March were equivalent to our March 15. In the Roman calendar, this date corresponded to several religious observances. The Romans considered the Ides of March as a deadline for settling debts. However, nowadays, if you have heard of the Ides of March, it is probably thanks to William Shakespeare. In Julius Caesar's play, a soothsayer attracts Caesar's attention and tells him: Beware the ides of March. When the soothsayer repeats his warning, Caesar dismisses him, and two acts later, Caesar is assassinated on the steps of the Senate. In the play and real life, Julius Caesar was indeed assassinated on the ides of March – March 15 – in the year 44 B.C.
HISTORY OF IDES OF MARCH
Movies often distort historical events to make them more entertaining to draw bigger audiences and better reviews. The same was true when English playwright William Shakespeare wrote his famous tragedy "Julius Caesar." According to author Barry Strauss, much of what we commonly believe to be true about the demise of the unlucky emperor on that fateful Ides of March is based more on Shakespeare's play than historical evidence. His book "The Death of Caesar" dismantles the half-truths about the ruler's tragic end on the Ides of March in 44 B.C. Here are three myths (taken from: https://nationaltoday.com/ides-of-march/) he calls out about the Ides of March killing of Emperor Julius Caesar:
Myth #1:
Julius Caesar was admonished to "Beware the Ides of March" by an unknown Soothsayer.
False: The omen was actually "Beware the next 30 days" and was prophesied on February 15, 44 B.C. by an Etruscan Soothsayer named Spurinna.
Myth #2:
Brutus was Caesar's best friend and led the assassination plot.
False: There were, in fact, three conspirators: Brutus, Cassius, and Decimus. Decimus was known to be most trusted by Caesar and has been the leader of the murder conspiracy.
Myth #3:
Caesar nobly uttered, "Et Tu, Brute" (you too, Brutus) with his dying breath.
False: Caesar singling out Brutus as he lay dying was an invention of the Renaissance movement. The emperor was a trained soldier who fought for his life, tried to escape the ambush, and never uttered these words.
Bottom line: You do not need to beware of The Ides of March. While they did correspond to March 15 in ancient Rome, their superstitions are simply superstitions, and we remember them thanks to William Shakespeare's play "Julius Caesar."