The Ides of March
Beware the Ides of March!
As a former Latin student, I always remember the Ides of March (the 15th of the month), as it marks the anniversary of the assassination of Julius Caesar near the Theater of Pompey way back in 44 BC.
Although there are conflicting accounts of precisely what happened on that fateful day and what Caesar’s last words were, I tend to believe Suetonius’ version. That historian says Caesar was stabbed 23 times, but only one of the blows was actually fatal. Moreover, Suetonius holds that Caesar’s final utterance was, “Kai su, teknon?” — Greek for “You too, child?” when he saw Brutus taking his place among the assassins.
At any rate, I think Caesar’s role in Roman history remains one of the most fascinating subjects I’ve ever studied. Maybe I’ll read a few pages of De Bello Gallico today to mark the occasion!