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The Guild 3-15-2005 Beware the Ides of March

Posted on 03/14/2005 9:08:52 PM PST by Hillary's Lovely Legs

Forget Friday the 13th. Ignore ladders, black cats, broken mirrors and spilt salt. Think instead of today, March 15, and beware.

As superstitions go, being wary of the ides of March is certainly more unusual. Yet the day does have a certain resonance.

In the complicated world of the Roman calender, there were 45 public festivals (not bad compared to the UK's eight bank holidays), as well as the ides of each month, days which were sacred to Jupiter.

In March, May, July and October, the ides fell on the 15th.

The Julian calendar, established by Julius Caesar, gave us the basis of our system of 365 days a year and 366 in a leap year. But for the most part, the Roman festivals of his time have had their day.

The ides of March, however, is one day that continues to appeal, marked because that was the date that Julius Caesar was assassinated in the senate, in 44BC.

Its modern-day memory is thanks, like so many things, to Shakespeare's way with words.

In act one, scene two of Julius Caesar, Caesar asks a soothsayer what the future holds.

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.

Although today the reference will not be understood by everybody, David Ewing Duncan, author of The Calendar, wrote that it was not always so.

A Roman saying "four ides" (meaning four days before the ides) would be just as clear to other Romans as someone saying March 11.

And furthermore, the system lasted 2,000 years, well into the Renaissance, he wrote. This meant Shakespeare could include the line, and expect his audience to know what he meant.

Test of time

However, just four hundred years later, the ides seems set only to survive as a literary and historical reference - in spite of it being the date by which debts (including Caesar's) were usually settled.

Professor Eileen Barker, of the London School of Economics, said it was a shame but the ides probably only had significance for schoolchildren reading Julius Caesar.

"I was thinking about this when I saw what date it was, and I thought no wonder I'm feeling awful," she said.

One significant historical event that fell on the ides of March is, perhaps, worth noting. It was on this day in 1876 that Test cricket was born.

Reason for anyone to beware? Perhaps for the English.

It was against Australia.


TOPICS: The Guild
KEYWORDS: beware; ettubrute; idesofmarch; march15
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To: Endeavor

Creighton is favored to beat the Mountaineers, indeed, but if Pittsnogle and Sally both have good games tonight, watch out.


61 posted on 03/17/2005 2:58:42 PM PST by mountaineer
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To: mountaineer
UNCLE! What is a "Pitsnoggle" and "Sally?"
62 posted on 03/17/2005 3:36:34 PM PST by Endeavor (GO ILLINI)
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To: Endeavor

Hello. They're predicting snow for tomorrow.


63 posted on 03/17/2005 4:29:47 PM PST by Iowa Granny
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To: Iowa Granny

Terrible news. I know you did not lose sleep over Iowa's loss - nor did I. I do hope Iowa State wins. Do you have any pull in that?


64 posted on 03/17/2005 4:37:57 PM PST by Endeavor (GO ILLINI)
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To: Endeavor

Absolutely NO PULL to assist the 'Clones.

I listened to the Hawks on my drive home tonite. At least Alford offered no excuses in the post game show.


65 posted on 03/17/2005 5:00:44 PM PST by Iowa Granny
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To: Iowa Granny

I hope you're pulling for my kids. They're a great crew.


66 posted on 03/17/2005 5:52:33 PM PST by Endeavor (GO ILLINI)
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To: Endeavor

I was definitely impressed with the Illini when they played the Hawks. They should have a really good chance at the Brass Ring.


67 posted on 03/17/2005 5:57:00 PM PST by Iowa Granny
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To: Endeavor

Kevin and Tyrone, of course.


68 posted on 03/17/2005 6:11:42 PM PST by mountaineer
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To: mountaineer
Place this in the "They never give up" file:

March 18, 2005 -- A GAY political activist is getting ready to out a "high-profile" female Republican well known in Washington. Mike Rogers, who outs closeted Republican politicos on his blog, blogactive.com, tells the April issue of GQ he's close to going public.

"One of my sources was an employee of a woman she dated," Rogers tells the magazine, noting that a number of people from the woman's past "allege that she's gay, that she's dated women." He's proceeding cautiously on the advice of his lawyers. "I can't really discuss upcoming cases," Rogers tells PAGE SIX. "But I'm workin' it."

Of course, there are many powerful women in the capital who have been the targets of lesbianism rumors. Rogers began his campaign last summer to combat the Republican stance against gay marriage. He has since "exposed" many high-level Republican officials and has forced some politicians out of office. (Who??) (Page Six)

69 posted on 03/18/2005 12:50:52 AM PST by pubmom (Suffering from DITS (Democrat induced tourette's syndrome)since 1992.)
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To: pubmom

Good Morning.


70 posted on 03/18/2005 4:07:02 AM PST by Iowa Granny
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To: Endeavor

I see your kids won last night. Happy for them. They were the best team I say/heard all year in the Big Ten (12, or whatever)


71 posted on 03/18/2005 4:08:15 AM PST by Iowa Granny
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To: pubmom

Who, indeed? I don't recall any high-profile Republicans being outed recently. What do you want to bet this nincompoop's blog and "outing" efforts are funded by Soros?


72 posted on 03/18/2005 5:41:01 AM PST by mountaineer
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ASHLEE Simpson sure looked like she was over her rumored heartaches at the callow hands of Wilmer Valderrama and Ryan Cabrera the other night. The lip-synching lovely was in full canoodle with an unidentified member of her band in a booth at Marquee that also held big sister Jessica and svengali dad Joe. "They've been dating for about two weeks," a pal of Ashlee confided. Nestled in other corners of the hot spot were Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore, Chelsea Clinton and "American Idol" escapee Mario Vasquez ... (Page Six)

________________

I assume this means she was with Ian, but it doesn't really say that, does it? Maybe Chelsea's seeing the kid from American Idol!

73 posted on 03/18/2005 5:45:59 AM PST by mountaineer
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Cindy Adams writes:

NOW, about Condoleezza commenting we'll see that Oscar de la Renta gown on her lots because she needs to "amortize" it. True. Despite anyone thinking it was a freebie — no. Oscar might happily have donated this, but she couldn't accept such a gift. She paid. Maybe wholesale. Maybe a discount. But she paid.

74 posted on 03/18/2005 5:56:49 AM PST by mountaineer
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To: mountaineer
What a radical concept, actually paying for something.

I don't recall any Republicans being outed recently either. The term politicians seem to be thrown in rather loosely at the end, McGreevy in NJ maybe?

Or possibly Keye's daughter? (Not a politician, though.)

75 posted on 03/18/2005 6:16:49 AM PST by pubmom (Suffering from DITS (Democrat induced tourette's syndrome)since 1992.)
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To: pubmom
From a Boston Herald travel story on Beaver Creek, Colo.:

Other celebs who have warmed to the cool comforts of Beaver Creek include TV icon Jerry Seinfeld; California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger; his Hollywood pal Danny DeVito; Academy Award winner Clint Eastwood; members of 'N Sync; Bill and Chelsea Clinton, who went horseback riding at the Beaver Creek Stables ...

___________________

Those two are awfully close.

76 posted on 03/18/2005 6:22:53 AM PST by mountaineer
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To: mountaineer

Ian is supposedly in Iraq helping set up education...Chels stays home and eats 500 bucks worth of pasta with Dad and Mum, hobnobs with the American Idol guy and heaven only knows what else....What did Ian ever do to deserve this fate...lol...Was volunteering to go to Iraq the only way he could get away from this family or did Hillary insist he go over there to pad up his resume for when she runs? Inquiring minds wanna know, hee hee...


77 posted on 03/18/2005 7:49:07 AM PST by daisyscarlett
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To: mountaineer

It finally rang clear when i caught the end of your game last night -- Congratulations!!! With Alabama and Texas losing, I sure needed WV to come through. Thank you.


78 posted on 03/18/2005 7:57:42 AM PST by Endeavor (GO ILLINI)
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To: daisyscarlett; Endeavor
did Hillary insist he go over there to pad up his resume

I bet you've hit the nail on the head. Hillary must have realized Chelsea's roommate had never actually held a job in his pampered life, which might not go over with the "working man" wing of the Democrat party.

E - what a game! WVU pulled it out in the last seconds, which is a good thing, as I would have been really annoyed at spending two hours of my life glued to the TV for a loss. Beating Wake Forest next is almost too much to ask, though.

79 posted on 03/18/2005 8:32:00 AM PST by mountaineer
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To: mountaineer

Good luck against Wake. I'll be pulling for them (even against my bracketology). I hope they get a lot of rest today.


80 posted on 03/18/2005 9:10:53 AM PST by Endeavor (GO ILLINI)
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