Beware the Ides of March

Photo courtesy of veraukoion

That’s right, today is the Ides of March (also known as the fated day Julius Caesar was warned about). As I said yesterday, this is one of my favorite days because I love the name the Ides of March. Originally just a fancy sounding name for the middle of March, every month technically had an Ides. The Ides of [insert month here] was determined by the full moon, which usually occurred on the 13th or 15th day of the month.

However, after Caesar's death, the Ides of March became a turning point in Roman history, and helped mark the transition from the Roman Republic to the Roman Empire. And this event is also why the Ides of March in particular are so well known and the name still used today, even if the Ides of other months aren’t.

Lesson learned: if a famous soothsayer tells you to beware the Ides of March, it might be a good idea to listen. 

Photo courtesy of someecards

Hopefully today is much tamer for you than it ended up being for Caesar. Have a wonderful Ides of March!

On a side note: Today is also Hungary’s National Day, in memory of their 1848-49 Revolution and War of Independence. Google makes Google Doodles every year to celebrate this in Hungary, which you can see here.