Beware the Ides of March

illustration by Andy McNally

“Beware the ides of March” is a quote from Act 1, Scene 2 of Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare.

Caesar:
Who is it in the press that calls on me?
I hear a tongue shriller than all the music
Cry “Caesar!” Speak, Caesar is turn’d to hear.

Soothsayer:
Beware the ides of March.

Caesar:
What man is that?

Brutus:
A soothsayer bids you beware the ides of March.

The Ides of March was a holiday in ancient Rome. Caesar, the Roman ruler at the time, was making an appearance before the “press” (crowd) in the streets. Someone in the crowd, a soothsayer, yells a warning to Caesar.

sketchnote by Andy McNally

Caution and Vigilance

The ides of March, the 15th day of March is the day when Julius Caesar was assassinated in 44 BC by a group of conspirators, including Brutus and Cassius. Despite many omens — the soothsayer’s warning, some fearsome thundering, and his wife’s dreams of his murder — Caesar leaves home on the ides and meets his fate. The ides of March is considered a day to be cautious and vigilant.