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Beware the Ides of March!

Death of Julius Caesar, by 18th century Italian artist
Vincenzo Camuccini, depicts the fateful day in 44 BC.

What is the Ides of March and why should anyone beware the date holding such bad news and omens?

The warning was first given to the Roman Emperor Julius Caesar, whose empire stretched throughout the known world in 44 B.C.

As his power grew, so did Caesar's enemies who secretly plotted to do away with him inside the Roman Senate. The date they chose was March 15th, the Ides of March.

Why the "Ides"?

The word ides comes from a Latin word that means to divide. The ides is simply the middle of the month, but from the time of Caesar's assassination it has always signaled danger. In ancient Rome, every month had an "ides." In March, May, July and October the ides fell on the 15th day, based on the lunar calendar used in Roman times.

Caesar gets a warning ...

According to Roman historians, it was a soothsayer by name of Titus Vestricius Spurinna who told Caesar ...“Beware the Ides of March.”

Some think that the plot involved so many people that buzz had begun to circulate around Rome days before. The fortune teller therefore may have relied less on his psychic powers - and more on rumors - when he warned Caesar about staying away from danger on the 15th.

In the end, it didn't matter. An over-confident Julius Caesar ignored the warning and met his fate.

A famous line from Shakespeare

The infamous date might have been known only to historians had it not been for William Shakespeare, who wrote the very popular play, Julius Caesar, where in Act I, Scene II the famous line is quoted. Today, audiences worldwide know that Caesar will die a horrible death because he is too proud to see the signs of impending doom and refuses to listen to good advice.

"Beware the Ides of March!"