The warning was said to Julius Ceasar prior to his assassination.
The Ides of March has long been considered an ill-fated day. Julius Caesar was assassinated on March 15, 44 B.C. Historians note that it is likely that a soothsayer named Spurinna had warned Caesar.
The phrase was immortalized by Shakespeare in his play Julius Ceasar (Act I, Part II).
The soothsayer warns Ceasar to beware the Ides of March.
When the day comes he sees the seer again, and mockingly says
Well, the Ides of March are come.
he replies
Aye, they are come, but are not gone.
Each Roman Lunar Calendar month had three fixed named days, but was otherwise lacking a Julian numbering system as we're familiar with today.
1. Kalends:
* Always the first day of the month.
2. Nones
* Always nine days before the Ides
* Long months (March, May, July and October) fell on seventh day of the month
* Other months, fell on fifth day of month
3. Ides:
1. Always the day of the full moon in the lunar month.
2. Long months (March, May, July and October) fell on 15th day of the month (remember the Ides of March)
3. Other months, fell on 13th day of month
The ides were the 15th days of long months (including Martius, or March) in the ancient Roman lunar calendar; they were the 13th in other months. The word ides comes from the Latin word idus, which is possibly derived from an Etruscan word meaning "to divide." The ides were originally meant to mark the full Moon (the "halfway point" of a lunar month), but because the Roman calendar months and actual lunar months were of different lengths, they quickly got out of step. The ancient Romans considered the day after the kalends (first of the month), nones (ninth day before the ides, inclusive), or ides of any month as unfavorable. These were called dies atri.
ref: http://almanac.com
Dies Atri
dies atri - or "black days" were not marked on the calendar because they always occured on the day after the Kalends, Nones and Ides of each month. Nothing new could be done on dies atri, and even state cult festivals were not held on these days. Romans also thought that the Kalends, Nones and Ides of each month as well as the fourth day of each month were unlucky days (the way we would think of Friday the Thirteenth). There were no legal or religious prohibitions against activities on simply unlucky days, and a nundina could fall on Nones quite easily. Furthermore, Romans thought the month of May and the first half of June were terribly unlucky months to get married in.
ref: http://abacus.bates.edu
The Soothsayer from the play, "Julius Caesar" said "Beware the ides of March."
The play was Julius Caesar. "Soothsayer Beware the ides of March."
beware of the ides of march.......... huge foreshadow!!!! and ides mean 15th
March-Beware the Ides of March
He died on the 15th of March, 44 B.C. (B.C.E.). The date is referred to as 'the Ides of March' and is most commonly used in the sentence, 'Beware the Ides of March' because a Soothsayer (seer) reportedly told Julius Caesar that before his death.
Julius Caesar was told to beware the ides of March by a soothsayer in the play Julius Caesar.
Julius Caesar was told to beware the ides of March by a soothsayer in the play Julius Caesar.
The soothsayer came up to Casaer from a group of crowded people and said, "Beware the Ides of March." 'Ides' is the 'middle'. SO the soothsayer told Casaer to beware the middle of March, or March 15.
The soothsayer
Soothsayer warned Caesar to beware of the Ides of March which was a warning that he will die on the 15th of March. Caesar did not take well to it and claimed that Soothsayer was a dreamer.
The soothsayer Spurinna warned him to 'beware the Ides of March'.
The Soothsayer from the play, "Julius Caesar" said "Beware the ides of March."
The play was Julius Caesar. "Soothsayer Beware the ides of March."
beware of the ides of march.......... huge foreshadow!!!! and ides mean 15th
Beware the Ides of March
Beware the IDES of March.......
March-Beware the Ides of March