Walking down the halls today, you might hear students warning ‘’Beware the Ides of March.’’ So what are the Ides of March, and why should people beware?

March 15 is historically known as the Ides of March thanks to William Shakespeare who coined the phrase.  Perhaps the one who should have heeded the warning was Julius Caesar.  It might have saved him from the nearly two dozen stab wounds that cut short his life on this day.  This day is notorious because it marks the assassination of the Roman dictator.  With his death came many lessons to live by.

‘’The day became darker when Shakespeare wrote his play, and everyone really saw how bad the death was,’’ Kamari Mitchell, senior said.

Caesar’s friends conspired against him and murdered him on this day in 44 B.C. lead by Roman senators who had opposed him. The Republican senators refused to listen to those appointed by Caesar and felt their voice was withering away under the dictator.  They also disliked him because of his arrogance and egotism. Maybe they got tired of hearing about how he conquered Gaul, similar to how friends will not stop talking about how they aced their test. Lesson learned: boasting about oneself never fails to annoy friends, so it is wise to not do it unless they want to keep an eye out.

‘’March 15, also known as the Ides of March, has now become infamous for how brutal Caesar got killed by his own people,’’ Kennedy Kelly, freshman, said. 

Caesar’s death could have easily been avoided if he had listened to his peers. Last lesson learned : students should  listen closely to their friends. Caesar supposedly knew that many of the senators disliked him, but he did not think too much about this. It is believed that before the leader entered the senate meeting, where he would meet his end, he was handed a warning letter, but he never read it.  When he did enter the hall, he was met with senators holding daggers with the first stab wounding him in the neck, but not killing him.

‘’We usually think of Brutus stabbing his friend Caesar as the big  idea behind the Ides of March. So, perhaps, making a connection for us especially in this time of people anxious to accuse and point out the faults of others could be to question how good a friend we are to our friends. Are we too backstabbers, or can we accept others even with their faults?’’ Barbara Gardner, English teacher, said.

The date has been recognized as a doomed day that morbidly attracts the curiosity of many, and it never fails to trend on Twitter. Although the date’s origins are non- threatening, many are still cautious and choose to beware  the Ides of March, so do not be surprised if your friends and family warn you. Remember to be weary and follow the lessons learned on this day forever etched in history.