March 15, 2011: Ides of March

~★~♥~♥~★~ El Morno! ♥~★~★~♥ ~
March 15,2011

★~ Today’s Quote: It is better to create than to learn! Creating is the essence of life. Julius Caesar

~ The Ides of March.  In the ancient Roman calendar, each of the 12 months had an ‘ides’ of the month. In March, May, July and October, the ides fell on the 15th day. In all other months, the ides fell on the 13th. The word ‘ides’ was derived from the Latin “to divide.” The ides were originally meant to mark the full moon, but since the solar calendar months and lunar months were of different lengths, the ides eventually lost their original intent and purpose. We only remember March as the month that has Ides because it was on this day that Roman Emperor Julius Caesar was assassinated. Julius Caesar might have lived if he had listened to his wife Calpurnia. The Ides of March is celebrated by suggesting to your spouse or significant other that their fate may depend on listening to YOU.

~ Today in History:

~ 1937 – The first blood bank was established by Dr. Bernard Fantus — in Chicago, IL at the Cook County Hospital. Have some cookies and maybe an orange to celebrate…

♥~ 1948 – Sir Laurence Olivier was on the cover of LIFE magazine for his starring role in Shakespeare’s Hamlet.

♥~ 1964 – Wedding bells (the first time) for actor Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor. The couple wed in secret ceremonies in Montreal, Canada.

♥~ 1987 – The place: Orlando, Florida. The golf course: the Arnold Palmer-designed Bay Hill layout. The tournament: the Bay Hill Classic. Don Pooley showed the golf world what a true million-dollar swing looked like, as he made a hole in one during the final round. The tournament sponsor had offered a million dollars to anyone making an ace. Pooley didn’t win the tourney, but won a lot more than anyone else…

♥~ 1995 – Chart Topper-You Can’t Make a Heart Love SomebodyGeorge Strait

~ Born Today:

♥~ 1935Judd Hirsch Emmy Award-winning actor: Taxi [1980-81,1982-83]; Ordinary People, The Good-bye People, Running on Empty, Numb3rs

♥~ 1940 – Phil Lesh (Chapman) musician: bass: group: Grateful Dead: St. Stephen, China Cat Sunflower, Dark Star, Uncle John’s Band, New Speedway Boogie, Truckin’, Box of Rain, Alabama Gateway; composer: electronic music

♥~ 1955Dee Snider composer, singer: group: Twisted Sister: We’re Not Gonna Take It, Ride Through the Storm, Hard Core [Lemmy’s Song], The Wanderer, Desperato

♥~ 1959Fabio (Lanzoni) model: covers of romance novels; writer: Pirate

~Did You Know:

♥~ The soothsayer in William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar (Act 1, scene 2, 15–19) warns Caesar to “Beware of the ides of March.

♥~ The ides of March is traditionally considered to be unlucky thanks to Brutus’s backstabbing (literally) of Julius Caesar in 44BC. Superstitious folks avoid starting a new business, taking a risk, or getting married on such an inauspicious anniversary.

♥~ Some believe that each glass of wine you drink on March 15th will add a year to your life.

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Caesar should have listened to his wife–Calpurnia, who dreams that something terrible is about to smite her husband and begs him not to go to the Capitol on the Ides.  She tells him what she saw in the dream:

A lioness hath whelped in the streets;
And graves have yawn’d, and yielded up their dead;
Fierce fiery warriors fought upon the clouds,
In ranks and squadrons and right form of war,
Which drizzled blood upon the Capitol;
The noise of battle hurtled in the air,
Horses did neigh, and dying men did groan,
And ghosts did shriek and squeal about the streets.
O Caesar! these things are beyond all use,
And I do fear them. (2. 2. 21-30 )

Caesar answers, “Cowards die many times before their deaths; The valiant never taste of death but once” (2. 2. 37-38)

Later that day Caesar is stabbed by Brutus. I think what he really said on that fateful day was, “I should have listened to Calpurnia.”

Have you ever changed your plans based on a dream or intuition?

Share with us in the comment section of Odd because you know Odd loves company…if you don’t have the time to visit right now…there is always tomorrow El Morno!

 

Click for March 15, 2012 update

7 thoughts on “March 15, 2011: Ides of March

  1. Good morning! This is useful information about Caesar. I am teaching the seniors tomorrow and our topic is the Roman Empire. Many people think that he was an Emperor, but he wasn’t, he was a general and head of the Roman army….and history continues to repeat itself….how many men don’t listen to their wives??

  2. I bet while Caesar was dying he was thinking-IF ONLY I HAD LISTENED TO MY WIFE but it just to late.
    😀

  3. Interesting facts, Kb. You know, my post was tongue-in-cheek, but I have been thinking about the etymology of “ides” and words that may have sprung from it or its root. Now you’ve got me thinking more on that. Thanks a lot. 😐

    🙂

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