The Ides of March is the day on the ancient Roman calendar that coincides with March 15th on our calendars. The month of March, named after Mars the Roman god of war, was the first month on the Roman calendar. Ides comes from the Latin word meaning “to divide” and means the middle of the month, which was marked by the rise of the full moon. Therefore, the Ides of March saw the first full moon of the year and was considered a day of great significance to the ancient Romans.
The significance of the date was further cemented with the assassination of Julius Caesar on the Ides of March in 44 B.C. To counter what was perceived to be his dangerous ambition, Caesar was stabbed to death in the Roman Senate by a large group of conspirators, whose goal was to preserve the Roman Republic. The assassination did not have the desired impact; in fact, Caesar’s death marked the end of the Roman Republic, with his nephew and heir Octavian becoming the first Roman Emperor, Caesar Augustus, in 27 B.C. after a period of political upheaval and civil war. The most famous account of the assassination is found in William Shakespeare’s play “Julius Caesar,” standard reading in many high school English classes. Early in the play, a fortune teller cautions Caesar “Beware the ides of March,” a warning which Caesar ignores. As Caesar enters the Senate on March 15th, he encounters the same fortune teller. Caesar calls out “The ides of March are come,” to which the fortune teller responds, “Ay, Caesar, but not gone.” Caesar proceeds into the Senate, where he soon meets his fate. The Ides of March now carries with it an ominous feeling for many.
The Ides of March may also sound familiar to classic rock music fans. In 1964, a group of guys in Berwyn, Illinois got together and formed a jazz rock band called “The Shon-Dels.” In 1966, one of the members suggested the band change its name to “The Ides of March” after reading Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar in high school. The name stuck. The group enjoyed local success in Chicagoland and its songs were featured on WLS Chicago. In 1970, The Ides of March released the song “Vehicle” which reached number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100. With its catchy chorus, “I’m your vehicle, baby. I can take you anywhere you want to go,” the song has been a staple in automobile commercials and was performed on American Idol in 2005 by Bo Bice. The Ides of March split up in 1973, and in 1978, vocalist Jim Peterik co-founded the band “Survivor.” Peterik went on to co-write the song “Eye of the Tiger” for Rocky III. The Ides of March, including Peterik, got back together in 1990. The group continues to tour with upcoming shows in Ft. Lauderdale and the Chicago area. Not bad for a band named after a day traditionally associated with misfortune and doom.