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Benedict Arnold

How About the Ides of March?

It’s tomorrow, or today if you are in Oz...March 15, the 2061st anniversary of the assassination of Julius Caesar in the Roman senate (give or take some calendric vicissitudes).

Shakespeare wrote about it, and we still caution each other to BEWARE of it…what does it mean to you, and why does it continue to figure so prominently in our collective psyche? 
DEATH OF CAESAR by Vincenzo Camuccini, 1798:

Posted - March 14, 2017
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Responses


  • Meh. Julies had it coming.  I suspect for most the quip of, "Beware..." is just something to say and may not know its origins.   
      March 14, 2017 2:11 PM MDT
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  • Whistle6, that could be, that the "Beware..." is just something we say, without knowing the origin, I had not even thought of that!
    ty....
      March 14, 2017 4:00 PM MDT
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  • 7280
    When I was in high school, I was under the impression that everyone had read Shakespeare's Julius Caesar.

    But perhaps not...

    Anyway:

     You may remember the soothsayer’s warning to Julius Caesar to “Beware the ides of March,” but the term didn’t originate with William Shakespeare.


    http://www.history.com/news/ask-history/what-are-the-ides-of-march
      March 14, 2017 2:34 PM MDT
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  • What a thoroughly interesting article! The ides originally designating the day of the full moon, each month.
    And the mention of King Romulus, 753 B.C., which means Rome had been in existence for 700 years by the time of Julius Caesar - assuming this Romulus was the famed twin to Remus, suckled by the wolf...

    This also indicates the origin of the word CALENDAR, kalends being the day of the full moon and the first day of the lunar month...and that Julius himself (in consultation with the astronomer) reformed the old calendar into our present day form in 46 B.C.
    Very fine research, ty.

      March 14, 2017 4:18 PM MDT
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  • 7280
    AW shucks---thank you, VirginiaL
      March 15, 2017 10:20 AM MDT
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  • It's not just Big Julie whose in trouble on these ides. I disagreed with something one of our more prolific posters said last week and she hit me with, "Et tu, Brute?" I felt so *sob* guilty. :(


      March 14, 2017 2:42 PM MDT
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  • Dozy, seems to me you are in trouble A LOT...both at home, and now online too!
      March 14, 2017 4:20 PM MDT
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  • 3191
    Other than denoting the approximate midpoint of the month and being the anniversary of the assassination of Ceaser, it means nothing to me. This post was edited by Bozette at March 14, 2017 5:45 PM MDT
      March 14, 2017 3:54 PM MDT
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  • Ah Bozette, thank you!
      March 14, 2017 4:28 PM MDT
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  • 10026
    Hi Virginia~ To be flat out honest (which I always am but normally not so obviously silly about it)  I came up with, what seemed to me, a happy meaning.  This is from my childhood.  I don't remember my exact age but I am going to guess 8 through 10.  I was old enough to know it meant something.  It was marked on the calendar.  It must have been important. 
    With my little logic, I came up with, the ideas of March.  In March  things were about to spring up from the ground.  The earth was getting prepared for all the different flowers about to bloom.  We had to spring forward in time for this happen! March wanted us to remember.  I also knew it was about time to get ready for Easter.
     As I've grown, obviously, my horizons have expanded.  I would like to say, however, those rules seem to still apply.
     Happy Spring thoughts to everyone! :) :) This post was edited by Merlin at March 14, 2017 6:32 PM MDT
      March 14, 2017 4:53 PM MDT
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  • Oh, Merlin!
    Yours is the kind of comment that ALWAYS makes me glad I have brought a question...somehow, it would be so wonderful if we could sustain this kind of logic forever lifelong...this is going into my special ASK file!
      March 14, 2017 5:13 PM MDT
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  • 10026
    My dearest friend Virginia~ You give me happy goosebumps and huge smiles.  These are terms I Rarely use since ASK.  But, you exceed them.  You bring out the best in me!  Love, Merlin
      March 14, 2017 5:23 PM MDT
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