Why 'Beware' the Ides of March?

This Day in History: March 15, 1601

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Throughout history the phrase "Beware the Ides of March" has played a significant role. The term 'beware' tells us to be cautious and alert to possible impending danger. March is the third month of the year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. From Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, 1601, 'Beware the Ides of March' is the soothsayer's message to Julius Caesar, warning of his death.

But what about the 'Ides'?
 
We can thank the Romans for the Ides. They did not number days of a month sequentially from the first through the last day. Months of the Roman calendar were arranged around three named days - the Kalends, the Nones and the Ides - and these were reference points from which the other (unnamed) days were calculated:

Kalends (1st day of the month).
Nones (the 7th day in March, May, July, and October; the 5th in the other months).
Ides (the 15th day in March, May, July, and October; the 13th in the other months).

The Ides of March didn't signify anything special in itself - it was no more than the usual way of saying "March 15th". The notion of the Ides being a dangerous date was purely an invention of Shakespeare; each month has an Ides (often the 15th) and this date wasn't significant in being associated with death prior to 1601. In modern times, the Ides of March is best known as the date on which Julius Caesar was assassinated in 44 BC.

Visit author R.L. Cherry who will enlighten you on
Julius Caesar: The Ides of March guy & calendar changer.

Now you have the skinny on the Ides of March. Want to get down to the real meat of the matter? Was the Ides of March to the Romans like Friday the 13th to us, a day known for bad luck?

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