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The Romans did not number each day of a month from the first to the last day. Instead, they counted back from three fixed points of the month: the Nones (the 5th or 7th, eight days before the Ides), the Ides (the 13th for most months, but the 15th in March, May, July, and October), and the Kalends (1st of the following month).
Plus, the origin behind the phrase 'Beware the Ides of March.'
In March, May, July, and October it was the 15th day of the month; in other months it was the 13th Ides of March, a day in the Roman calendar that corresponded to March 15; it was marked by several religious observances and became notorious as the date of the assassination of Julius Caesar in 44 BC
March 15 is the "Ides of March," an ominous day synonymous with bad omens throughout history.
This means that the first day is called the calends; six days after the calends is the nones of May, October, July and March, while the nones comes only four days later for the other months; the ides comes eight days after the nones. [2]
On March 15 (the Ides of March), 44 BC, the historic Caesar was attacked by a group of senators, including Brutus, who was Caesar's friend and protégé.Caesar initially resisted his attackers, but when he saw Brutus, he reportedly responded as he died.
Instead, they counted back from the three fixed points of the month: the Nones (5th or 7th, depending on the length of the month), the Ides (13th or 15th), and the Kalends (1st) of the following month. The Nones of March was the 7th, and the Ides of March was the 15th.
The Ides of March coin, a Denarius portraying Brutus , minted in 43–42 BC. The reverse shows a pileus between two daggers, with the legend EID MAR (Eidibus Martiis – on the Ides of March), commemorating the assassination. [1] Possible bust of Julius Caesar, posthumous portrait in marble, 44–30 BC, Museo Pio-Clementino, Vatican Museums