In ancient Rome, the calendar year began on March 15. The 15th of each of month was known as the ides, from a Latin word that indicates division of a month. During the classical period, the month began on the night of the full moon, which was usually on the 13th or 15th of each month, depending on the season.

At any rate, back in 44 b.c., the legendary emperor Julius Caesar summoned members of the Senate to meet in the Theatre of Pompey on March 15.

Previously, a soothsayer had warned Caesar to "beware the ides of March," but since not much had happened that day, Caesar felt confident attending a Senate session. After all, the men of the Senate were loyal to him, so how much harm could he possibly come to?

Unfortunately, Caesar had enemies within his own Senate, and upon his arrival, several members of a group known as the Liberatores fell upon him and stabbed him to death. Some notable names were in the group, particularly Gaius Cassius Longinus and Marcus Junius Brutus, the son of Caesar's lover. They claimed that their actions were not treasonous, but in fact tyrannicide.

In 1599, when Shakespeare wrote his famous play, he made sure to include the seer's cautionary line about being wary on the date, and thus the term "beware the ides of March" has come to bring about a sense of impending doom. He also attributed an equally famous line to the dying emperor, "Et tu, Brute? Then fall, Caesar."

Falling just a week or so before the Ostara holiday, some members of Religio Romana celebrate an ides ritual each month, because the ides are sacred to the god Jupiter.

The season dictated how Jupiter was honored - for instance, on the ides of September, there was a big public feast celebrating the grape harvest. Ides celebrations throughout the year often involved the sacrifice of a sheep in Jupiter's name, although at some point that sheep may have been replaced by fish.

Interestingly, long before Caesar came along, the celebration of the ides of March was shared by Jupiter with a now-obscure Roman deity calledAnna Perenna; she was most likely one of the Etruscan deities absorbed into Roman mythology and custom. If you took Latin in high school, you'll recognize that her name references the perpetually turning year. Each March, on the ides, public and private sacrifices were made in her honor, to ensure a smooth transition into the new year, and to bless them over the coming months.

So - other than dead emperors, should you beware the ides of March? Is there some sort of magical significance to the date? Not at all - until Caesar's assassination, it was just another day on the calendar.

Be sure to read about some of the other Roman Pagan festivals, and how they were observed each year.

 

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