Beware The Ides of March!

emplynx · 03-15-2002, 08:41 AM

That is today! Beware!
Don't know what that means? Read this:

Quote:

The soothsayer's warning to Julius Caesar, "Beware the Ides of March," has forever imbued that date with a sense of foreboding. But in Roman times the expression "Ides of March" did not necessarily evoke a dark mood—it was simply the standard way of saying "March 15." Surely such a fanciful expression must signify something more than merely another day of the year? Not so. Even in Shakespeare's time, sixteen centuries later, audiences attending his play Julius Caesar wouldn't have blinked twice upon hearing the date called the Ides.

The term Ides comes from the earliest Roman calendar, which is said to have been devised by Romulus, the mythical founder of Rome. Whether it was Romulus or not, the inventor of this calendar had a penchant for complexity. The Roman calendar organized its months around three days, each of which served as a reference point for counting the other days:

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 remaining, unnamed days of the month were identified by counting backwards from the Kalends, Nones, or the Ides. For example, March 3 would be V Nones—5 days before the Nones (the Roman method of counting days was inclusive; in other words, the Nones would be counted as one of the 5 days).

March 1 Kalends
March 2 VI Nones
March 3 V Nones
March 4 IV Nones
March 5 III Nones
March 6 Pridie Nones (Latin for "on the day before")
March 7 Nones

Used in the first Roman calendar as well as in the Julian calendar (established by Julius Caesar in 45 B.C.E.) the confusing system of Kalends, Nones, and Ides continued to be used to varying degrees throughout the Middle Ages and into the Renaissance.

So, the Ides of March is just one of a dozen Ides that occur every month of the year. Kalends, the word from which calendar is derived, is another exotic-sounding term with a mundane meaning. Kalendrium means account book in Latin: Kalend, the first of the month, was in Roman times as it is now, the date on which bills are due.

Kyote Fields · 03-15-2002, 12:35 PM

Very interesting. Thanks for the lesson.

Ahhh....E tu Brute???

My Latin spellings a little rusty

Eowyn, The Lioness · 03-15-2002, 01:06 PM

Which is why you should stay away from me! (Today is my birthday.

) Now if you'll excuse me, I have some Ceasers to kill...(jking)

Kyote Fields · 03-15-2002, 01:30 PM

Would you like some......Ceaser salad with your meal?

Pa doom poom!!!

Thank you! Thank you! You've been a wonderful crowd!! I'm here all week!! Try the steak...

Laurelyn · 03-15-2002, 04:17 PM

Cave Idus Martius!

***gdl96*** · 03-15-2002, 05:38 PM

I was about to post a thread about this.

emplynx · 03-15-2002, 06:08 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by gdl96
I was about to post a thread about this.

Beat ya to it. HAHAHA

03-15-2002, 12:35 PM	#2
Kyote Fields Elven Warrior Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: California Posts: 218	Very interesting. Thanks for the lesson. Ahhh....E tu Brute??? My Latin spellings a little rusty __________________ No longer posting. If you'd like to write to me I can be reached at kyote_fields@hotmail.com. It was nice knowing all of you.

03-15-2002, 01:30 PM	#4
Kyote Fields Elven Warrior Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: California Posts: 218	Would you like some......Ceaser salad with your meal? Pa doom poom!!! Thank you! Thank you! You've been a wonderful crowd!! I'm here all week!! Try the steak... __________________ No longer posting. If you'd like to write to me I can be reached at kyote_fields@hotmail.com. It was nice knowing all of you.

03-15-2002, 04:17 PM	#5
Laurelyn Elf Lord Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Valinor, right next to Telperion . . . what did you expect, Michigan? Posts: 1,315	Cave Idus Martius! __________________ The Third Age of Entmoot has begun. Angel of music, guide and guardian! Grant to me your glory! The country I eat and spend the day in is by no means the country I sleep and dream in. Define patriotism. Hold the boat, you spastic monkey! ~ Elenka

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03-15-2002, 01:06 PM	#3
Eowyn, The Lioness Enting Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: oh, somewhere... Posts: 81	Which is why you should stay away from me! (Today is my birthday. ) Now if you'll excuse me, I have some Ceasers to kill...(jking)

03-15-2002, 05:38 PM	#6
*gdl96* the greg the admin Join Date: Sep 1999 Location: NJ Posts: 2,101	I was about to post a thread about this.