What Is The Ides Of March? Bad Things Happen On Anniversary of Caesar's Murder

Wednesday marked the 15th of March, which is famously known as the Ides of March.

For those who didn’t pay attention in their history or English classes in high school, Roman emperor Julius Caesar was stabbed to death on March 15, in the year 44 BC. He was murdered by his own senators who conspired against him, including his protege and son-in-law Marcus Brutus.

Read: 11 Quotes About Loyalty To Commemorate March 15

William Shakespeare immortalized the story in his play “Julius Caesar,” and two lines have stood the test of time. “Beware the Ides of March,” Shakespeare wrote. And when Brutus stabbed Caesar, the emperor asked his former confidante, “Et tu, Brute?”

Historically, the Ides of March were not associated with the doom and gloom of conspiracy and betrayal. The Ides actually referred to the day that saw the first full moon of any month. In fact, Merriam-Webster gives a decidedly non-threatening definition; the Ides are the “the 15th day of March, May, July, or October or the 13th day of any other month in the ancient Roman calendar; broadly : this day and the seven days preceding it.”

Read: Where To Read Shakespeare’s ‘Julius Caesar’ Online for Free

Regardless, bad things seem to keep happening on the Ides of March. In 1360, the French raided southern England, and for 48 hours, raped, pillaged and murdered victims. In 1889, a cyclone near Samoa wrecked three American and three German warships, killing over 200 sailors. And in 1939, Nazi Germany occupied the former country of Czechoslovakia.

Needless to say, the 15th of March has not been a favorite for superstitious people. And social media hasn’t forgotten it:

Since Caesar was a politician, some Twitter users got appropriately political with the Ides:

It’s hard to tell if Shakespeare would roll in his grave if he saw Krispy Kreme tweeting about the Ides, or if he’d laugh; he was, after all, a man who appreciated a good pun.