What are the Ides of March?
The 15th of March – known as the Ides of March – was just another day in the Roman calendar. In 44 BC however, the date took on a sinister new meaning...
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The term ‘Ides’ had a perfectly practical – and in no way sinister – meaning to the Romans. Their calendar, in connection with the phases of the Moon, used three terms to mark the passage of a month. A ‘Kalend’ was the first day of the month; a ‘None’ signified the first quarter of the Moon (the fifth or seventh day) and an ‘Ide’ was the full Moon (the 13th or 15th day). Therefore the Ides of March simply meant: 15 March.
In 44 BC, the Ides of March took on a new meaning. Julius Caesar, who had seized power from the Roman Republic and made himself a dictator, was murdered by a group of 60 dagger-wielding Senators led by his friends, Brutus and Cassius.
Ides of March: did Julius Caesar have any warning?
This Q&A was taken from a 2014 issue of BBC History Revealed magazine
