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March 15th is the Ideas of March, the 74th day in the Roman calendar. It was marked by several religious observations and was notable for the Romans as a deadline for settling debts. In 44 BC, it became notorious as the date of the assassination of Julius Caesar, which made the Ides of March a turning point in Roman history.
Caesar was stabbed to death at a meeting of the Senate. As many as 60 conspirators, led by Brutus and Cassius, were involved. According to Plutarch, a seer had warned that harm would come to Caesar on the Ides of March. On his way to the Theatre of Pompey, where he would be assassinated, Caesar passed the seer and joked, "Well, the Ides of March are come", implying that the prophecy had not been fulfilled, to which the seer replied "Aye, they are come, but they are not gone." This meeting is famously dramatized in William Shakespeare's play Julius Caesar, when Caesar is warned by the soothsayer to "beware the Ides of March." The Roman biographer Suetonius identifies the "seer" as a harupex named Spurinna.
Caesar's death was a closing event in the crisis of the Roman Republic and triggered the civil war that would result in the rise to sole power of his adopted heir Octavian (later known as Augustus). Writing under Augustus, Ovid portrays the murder as a sacrilege, since Caesar was also the Pontifex Maximus of Rome and a priest of Vesta. On the fourth anniversary of Caesar's death in 40 BC, after achieving a victory at the siege of Perugia, Octavian executed 300 senators and equites (a class of citizens who originally formed the cavalry of the Roman army and at a later period were a wealthy class of great political importance in Ancient Rome) who had fought against him under Lucius Antonius, the brother of Mark Antony. The executions were one of a series of actions taken by Octavian to avenge Caesar's death. Suetonius and the historian Cassius Dio characterized the slaughter as a religious sacrifice, noting that it occurred on the Ides of March at the new altar to the defied Julius.
So, there's a little history of The Ides of March. My maternal Grandpa Joe DiResta passed away on this day many years ago, and my Dad would always dread the 15th of March. He loved my Grandpa, and so did we. He was an integral part of our family, and his memory lingers. To anyone you loved who passed on this day, let's remember the love we shared with them rather than their untimely passing.
Peace and Love,
Skylark
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I am a columnist with Skylark Live Town News (SLTN) and write short, poetic articles about human interest, nature, general observations, inspiration, and daily life in and around Bay Shore. Please subscribe to my free newsletter that will be delivered directly to your email each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. To support the SLTN community, you can make a recurring monthly donation as a Friend ($5) or Advocate ($15). You can also advertise your business or event here. It's easy and convenient to do. I am also an advocate for people 60 and beyond. These years can be transformative, but they require focus, determination, and planning. I have a first Monday-of-the-month motivational vlog that is designed to inspire people to thrive as they age through knowledge and self-awareness. Please follow me on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Linkedin under my brand, Skylark Live. Thank you for your support.
