"Beware of the Ides of March", the name of the date in the Roman Calendar for March 15th. Ides was used for the 15th day of the months of March, May, July, and October. It occurred on the 13th day of the other months.

During the Roman Empire, the Ides of March was a festive day dedicated to the god Mars. Today, we know it as the day that Julius Caesar was assassinated in 44 B.C. William Shakespeare's famous writing "Julius Caesar" is still read today. In fact, Mark Anthony's speech in this play is the only works of Shakespeare that I put to memory in school.

The word "ides" comes from Latin, meaning half division. Julius Caesar had declared himself dictator of Rome for life. Reportedly, Caesar summoned the Senate to meet in the Theatre of Pompey on the Ides of March. A soothsayer had warned Caesar to beware of the Ides of March. On his way to the Senate, Caesar passed the soothsayer and greeted him by saying "The Ides of March has come". The soothsayer replied, "aye Caesar, but not gone".

As the Senate convened, Caesar was attacked and stabbed to death by a group of Senators who called themselves the "Liberatores". They justified their assassination of Caesar in that they were preserving the Republic from Caesar's alleged monarchical ambitions.

It is strictly my personal interpretation of the writings of Shakespeare, however the term that the Roman Senators used to identify themselves as a party was "Liberatores", is it coincidental that this word is a root word for Libertarian or Liberal. Don't we have a bunch of Senators that are Liberal? Just something to think about on the "Ides of March".

"Friends, Romans, Countrymen, lend me your ears. I have come here to bury Caesar not to praise him. The evil that man does lives after him, the good is is interred with their bones, so let it be with Caesar". All I can remember of Anthony's speech or words to that effect, it has only been 46 years ago that I put it to memory.