Digital News Report – Today is the Ides of March 2011, which is the 15th day of the month. The famous saying “Beware the Ides of March” comes from William Shakepeare’s play Julius Caesar. It turns out that it also was the day that Caesar was stabbed to death on this day in 44 BC.
The Romans celebrated the Ides of March to pay tribute to the god Mars. They would have a festival that would have guild members that practiced the arts, crafts, skill, war, and intelligence and was from the goddess Minerva. They often would have their weapons sanctified during this event.
The ides happened each month in the Roman times. The ides were on the full moons, but then were changed to either the 13th or 15th of each month when the Romans began using Caesar’s calendar.
It turns out the George Clooney is working on a film called ‘The Ides of March’ which is scheduled to be released on October 14, 2011. The film stars George Clooney, Ryan Gosling, and Marisa Tomei. The plot of the movie is about an a political campaign for president and the low down dirty politics that go on.
So unless you are Caesar, you might watch the day go by uneventful because there doesn’t seem to be any ancient Roman festival gathering that is in a town nearby.
By Victoria Brown