As with many phrases we use today, we have William Shakespeare to thank. While historically, we know Julius Caesar was assassinated on March 15, 44 BCE as a result of a conspiracy by a group of Roman senators, it was Shakespeare who immortalized this particular phrase in his play Julius Caesar, Act 1, Scene 2:
CAESAR:
Who calls?
CASCA:
Bid every noise be still. Peace yet again.
Music ceases.
CAESAR:
Who is in the press that calls on me?
I hear a tongue, shriller than all the music,
Cry "Caesar!"--Speak. Caesar is turned to hear
SOOTHSAYER:
Beware the ides of March.
CAESAR:
Set him before me. Let me see his face.
CASSIUS:
Fellow, come from the throng. Look upon Caesar.
SOOTHSAYER approaches
CAESAR:
What sayst thou to me now? Speak once again.
SOOTHSAYER:
Beware the ides of March.
CAESAR:
He is a dreamer. Let us leave him. Pass!
Kaye's Translation:
SOOTHSAYER: Yells out from the crowd
Hey, Caesar! Watch out when you go out and about on March 15th. I see a bad moon rising, and it's got your name on it.
CAESAR: responds when the Soothsayer is brought before him
You're just a crazy old man. I can't be bothered with this hocus-pocus nonsense. Get out of my way. I've got places to go, things to do, and peoples to conquer. Come on, guys. Let's blow this popsicle stand.
Obviously, Caesar should have listened...
But, poor, poor maligned March 15th.
There isn't anything inherently worrisome, sinister, or foreboding about this date. In fact, every month has an "ides". It's simply the 15th of the month. The word 'ides' is a derivative of the Latin verb iduare/idus*, which means 'to divide". The ides denoted the Roman method of signifying the day in the middle of the month**. More specifically, the ides related directed to the way lunar phases were calculated at the time. The full moon in any given month typically fell between the 13th and the 15th. Before Caesar was in charge of... well, just about everything... and he changed the calendar, the ides of March was the date of the new year and a time for celebration.
If you're wondering what historic events occurred on March 15th that weren't as gruesome as Julius Caesar's assassination, here is a short list:
1820 - Maine was admitted as the 23rd state of the Union
1865 - U. S. President Abraham Lincoln delivered his Second Inaugural Address
1892 - Jesse W. Reno patented the Reno Inclined Elevator -- 1st escalator
1907 - Finland was the first European country to give women the right to vote
1916 - U.S. President Woodrow Wilson sent American soldiers into Mexico with intent to capture Pancho Villa
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1927 - Birthday: Carl Smith (country music artist)
1935 - Birthday: actor Judd Hirsch
1937 - In Chicago, Illinois, the first blood bank to preserve blood for transfusion by refrigeration was established at the Cook County Hospital
1945 - 'Billboard' magazine began listing top albums - the first No. 1 was "The Nat King Cole Trio"
1945 - 17th Academy Awards: Bing Crosby (Going My Way), Ingrid Bergman (Gaslight), Movie: "Going My Way", Song: Swinging on a Star (Going My Way)
1948 - Sir Laurence Olivier was on the cover of "LIFE" magazine for his starring role in Shakespeare’s "Hamlet"
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1956 - The musical "My Fair Lady" opened on Broadway - Julie Andrews and Rex Harrison
1961 - Birthday: Fabio
1963 - Birthday: Bret Michaels (musician - Poison rock group)
1964 - In Montreal, Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor were married
1972 - Second day of 2-day movie premiere of 'The Godfather' in New York City
1977 - The first episode of "Eight is Enough" aired on television
Until next time,
Kaye Spencer
Writing through history one romance upon a time
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References:
*Pancho Villa:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pancho_Villa
Doroteo Arango Arámbula (June 5, 1878 – July 23, 1923), better known as Francisco or "Pancho" Villa, a Mexican Revolutionary general. This work is from the National Photo Company collection at the Library of Congress. According to the library, there are no known copyright restrictions on the use of this work.
*Sir Laurence Olivier - Pinterest
*Movie Posters: Going My Way and The Godfather - Wikipedia
J*ulius Caesar dialogue - 'No Fear Shakespeare' http://nfs.sparknotes.com/juliuscaesar/page_10.html)
*http://www.history.com/news/beware-the-ides-of-march-but-why
**https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/talkingtech/2017/03/15/ides-of-march-beware-the-ides-of-march-julius-caesar/99201650/
