- Flyer for Ides Of March Celebration in Rome - Dave Speedhum Hinson
Julius Caesar was a renowned general, statesman and overall popular guy with the Roman republic he presided over. The Rome of Caesar’s day was essentially democratic in its government structure, but strong class divisions and unequal voting rights left many citizens without a voice. This rather shaky society was not the greatest atmosphere for which a king should be crowned as Romans did not like kings; and though Caesar publicly refused kingship from his supporters, his insatiable thirst for power presented him to be more like an unstoppable dictator to his detractors. When conspirators, including Caesar’s friend Brutus, formed to put a final end to Caesar’s reign, history was in the making. Disregarding a warning from a mysterious soothsayer as Shakespeare so famously portrayed it; Caesar met his violent demise on the ides of March as predicted.
The Significance of the Ides
The word ides is a Latin term used to describe the center point of each month and originally signified the day of the full moon. While usually the ides fell on the thirteenth of any given month on the Roman calendar, in March, the ides were on the fifteenth, a day believed to bring good fortune. Often the moon was full on this day; revealing an atmosphere under which vanquishing frustrations is most appropriate. Shakespeare depicted the struggle leading up to the assassination of Caesar and the ensuing turmoil his death caused in his famous play The Tragedy of Julius Caesar.
The Tragedy of Julius Caesar According to William Shakespeare
Though the historical account of Julius Caesar’s murder has been popular fodder for many writers and dramatists, Shakespeare was most notable for his harsh, if not somewhat neglected, portrayal of Caesar. Shakespeare differed in that he highlighting the moral dilemma Caesar’s close friend Brutus faced when he joined the band of conspirators rapt on murdering Caesar. In Brutus, Shakespeare creates a tragic hero who is torn between his emotional ties to Caesar as a pal and the civic duty he comes to accept when he is convinced that Caesar’s death is the only answer to saving Rome from the ruler’s absolutism. When Caesar is twice warned by a “soothsayer” on the streets of Rome to “Beware the ides of March,” Caesar pronounces the man a “dreamer” and continues on his path to certain doom. But Brutus and the other men intent on ending Caesar’s ambitions decide to take the fate of Rome into their own hands, having called themselves the “liberators.” And with this commitment to the cause of Roman liberation, Caesar met his ugly end on the ides of March which actually led to immediate civil disorder throughout Rome.
And So the Ides Have It
Brutus himself delivered the final death blow, and it is believed that when Caesar saw that Brutus was one of his killers, he gave up fighting for his life and succumbed to death while uttering that famous phrase, (all together now) “Et tu, Bruté?” The ides have come to symbolize how political figures present themselves to their public, for who wants to end up like the great Caesar? But the ides are also a time for fun as demonstrated by an annual celebration held in the city of Caesar’s rise and demise, Rome itself. Each year, the Rome Hash House Harriers congregate for a weekend of fun around ancient city, including some pub-crawl and foodie action, all to close with a Sunday morning toga-run throughout Rome. The point apparently is “to commemorate this notorious event in the history of our great city” according to Rome Harriers website at http://www.rh3.it/iom/iom.html. And why not? Whether the ides should be handled superstitiously, or as a cautionary tale, is debatable, but historically the lesson from the March of ides illustrates that power can be put back into the hands of the people.
Alexis J Hyatt - Alexis Hyatt is a Buffalo-based writer who investigates the social, environmental, and cultural issues of the day.
