By PAULINA MATA/Staff Writer

As March 15 approaches, you may have heard the phrase, “beware the Ides of March.” The ominous warning is a line from William Shakespeare’s play, “Julius Caesar,” and foretells Roman ruler Julius Caesar’s assassination. 

March 15 is now known as a cursed day in pop culture, but the Ides of March didn’t always signify Caesar’s gruesome death. 

Origins of Ides of March

Prior to Caesar’s assassination, the Ides of March marked the new year, according to History.com.

“Ides simply referred to the first new moon of a given month, which usually fell between the 13th and 15th,” Martin Stezano of History.com said.

In Rome, the calendar followed and marked time using the lunar cycle, making March and its full moon signify the beginning of a new year. A lunar based calendar wasn’t ideal, though, since it constantly misaligned with the seasons.

In 46 B.C, Caesar changed the calendar to align with the sun. He added January and February, and made Jan. 1 mark the start of a new year. The Ides of March would no longer hold much significance in the Julian calendar — not until two years later. 

The Assassination of Julius Caesar

Driven by resentment, 60 senators agreed to assassinate Caesar after he declared himself the dictator of Rome, according to National Geographic. Caesar, completely blindsided by the betrayal of the Senate, was stabbed 23 times and died on March 15, 44 B.C.

The conspirators believed the death of Caesar and the end of his rule would bring restoration to the Roman Republic. However, it only caused civil wars, as the Roman public despised the Senate’s assassination plot. 

Pop Culture References

Following Caesar’s death, March 15 was then known as a cursed and ill-fated day of betrayal. Shakespeare’s “beware the Ides of March” line affirmed the sinister feel behind March 15, though it has somewhat lost the historical context in modern day use.

Today, the phrase is often used as a warning of bad luck and treachery. It’s a common phrase in politics when referring to potential betrayal of parties. 

Many television shows, like “The Simpsons” or “Party of Five”, reference the bad luck of the Ides of March with dedicated episodes. “The Ides of March” is also a political drama movie with metaphorical backstabbing and undoing.