I am
a curious person by nature, so when I hear someone use a phrase I begin to
wonder what it means and where the phrase came from. Recently I came across someone using the term
‘the Ides of March’ and I decided to learn a little more about it.
Shakespeare fans may already be familiar with the term, just before his assassination, Julius Caesar was warned by a soothsayer to “beware the Ideas of March” but
the soothsayer was not the first to use this phrase. In Roman
times the Ides of March was mostly notable as a deadline for settling debts. The Ides of March also historically marked the appearance of the first full moon and was associated
with the feast of the Goddess Anna Perenna.
Today
the term is most often used to warn someone about a fateful day, although the
actual Ides of March is usually meant to specifically refer to March 15th,
the date in 44 BC when Caesar was killed.
On the anniversary of Caesar’s death, Octavian executed 300 Senators and
Knights who fought against him in an attempt ‘to avenge Caesar’s death’ adding
to the dark history of that day.
Whoa this i s pretty hard core! I had no idea this was tied to Caesar's death. I honestly thought it was something weather related (tides of March)? I am adding this to my Weekly Button Up, people must know! :)
ReplyDeleteSo glad you liked the post - I am always curious when I hear certain expressions and I just want to learn more about them.
DeleteApparently, it also used to be Tax Day in the U.S., which is now April 15. Not sure why they call it the Ides.
ReplyDelete