"Beware the Ides of March"

 Today is the 15th of March, therefore, this is the Ides of March. Which means that it is the anniversary of the assassination of Julius Caesar.A rather gruesome anniversary, but it shapes the world like not many others did, for centuries to come. I blog about it every year, it's a sort of tradition, because I love history and I get in an Ancient Rome mood round this time of year. That and an Irish mood, too, but I digress. So yeah, as you probably, we owe to Shakespeare the line "Beware the Ides of March," you can hear it in Julius Caesar. I have yet to see the whole play, shame on me. For me, it reminds me of this scene from the HBO series Rome. I am going to watch it. If you do, fair warning: it is very bloody.

Roman Empire

 As I mentioned not long ago, I associate Easter with Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome, both their myths and their history. So when Easter comes, I watch and read a lot of sword and sandal stuff. I recently finished the Roman Empire docu-drama series on Netflix, narrated by Sean Bean. It's often rigged with inaccuracies (Claudius is depicted as rather handsome and with no stutter or physical ailment whatsoever for instance) and it gets ridiculously melodramatic at a time, but no more than your usual peplum. And there are historians commenting and giving some proper perspective. But I'd enjoy it just for Sean Bean's voice. In any case, watching it has been great fun and it's perfect for Easter.

"Beware the Ides of March"

 Today is the 15th of March, the Ides of March. People who are into history will of course know that this is the anniversary of the assassination of Julius Caesar. That's how the Ides of March are most (in)famous for. The expression "Beware the Ides of March" is taken from Julius Caesar. Which I haven't seen, to my great shame. But anyway, every year, I go full on Roman and I blog about it. And I try to remember the lesson of that fateful date. I mentioned them in 2022 and again in 2024. I am sharing them again: "1)even the most powerful man in the world is vulnerable, especially when he made himself enemies, however subservient they may appear to be. 2)we must be wary of the power vacuum created after a coup d'état." So yeah, enjoy your 15th of March.

Juillet et septembre

Petit billet à la fois historique et scientifique. J'ai lu cet article dans La Presse, qui explique pourquoi septembre n'est pas le septième mois de l'année, malgré son nom. Je savais déjà,enfin dans les grandes lignes, mais j'ai quand même trouvé ça intéressant. Comme bien des choses que l'on tient pour acquis, nous devons les noms de mois à l'Antiquité et plus précisément aux Romains. Petite note personnelle et ironique: même si juillet et septembre ont en commun d'être/d'avoir été le septième mois de l'année, juillet est un mois que je n'aime en général guère et septembre est l'un de mes préférés.

Beware the Ides of March (always)

Today is the 15th of March, day of the Ides of March. It is also and therefore the anniversary of the assassination of Julius Caesar.When you love history like me, you ought to remember it. So I try to commemorate it every year on this blog. The line "Beware the Ides of March" comes from Julius Caesar by Shakespeare. Anyway, we beware the Ides of March and not only on the 15th of March. I mentioned why back in 2022. I will sum up again the lessons we must learn from Caesar's murder: 1)even the most powerful man in the world is vulnerable, especially when he made himself enemies, however subservient they may appear to be. 2)we must be wary of the power vacuum created after a coup d'état. Or whenever a tyrant, or a dictator dies or fall from power. I am well aware that these are not cheerful thoughts, but the lessons of history seldom are.

Les Ides de mars hier à Montréal

Je pensais hier aux Ides de mars, me demandant si je ne devrais pas bloguer sur le sujet. Puis je me suis dit que non, que j'avais fait le tour de l'assassinat de Jules César, en tout cas pour le moment. Je pensais que je trouverais une nouvelle approche pour en parler une autre année, quand j'ai vu que Leonardo Rizzuto a été victime d'une tentative de meurtre. Un 15 mars. Il semble être hors de danger, mais quand même, ça fait drôle (je n'oserai pas dire "approprié"). Des fois, il y a des coïncidences qui ne s'inventent pas.

Remembering the Ides of March (and why)

 Today is the 15th of March, day of the Ides of March, the anniversary of the assassination of Julius Caesar. I commemorate it every year on this blog, sometimes humorously, sometimes not. This year, I want to place this commemoration in a special light. I think the Ides of March taught us two very important lessons: 1)even the most powerful man in the world is vulnerable, if he made himself enough enemies and 2)we must be wary about the power vacuum created in the aftermaths of a coup d'état. Caesar's enemies succeeded murdering him, but it was Caesar's heirs that took power eventually. Nowadays, with the rather volatile situation we are living, I think we need to keep this in mind. So yes. Beware the Ides of March all right.

Why You Should Beware the Ides of March

Well, today is the Ides of March, the day of the assassination of Julius Caesar. I alwayscommemorate it on this blog and this is no exception.We should all beware the Ides of March and here's why:

Ancient Ring from Ancient Rome

Yesterday was the anniversary of the assasination of Julius Caesar, the coup d'état that changed Ancient Rome forever and slowly turned it from a republic to an empire. I love history and have developed a keen interest in this particular time period. So anyway, the Facebook page of the British Museum shared this picture. This is what the Museum says about it: "This ring is thought to have been worn by one of Caesar’s supporters after his death, showing allegiance to Octavian and Mark Antony rather than Brutus and Cassius, who led the assassination. It is made of iron – considered lucky by the Romans – and shows a portrait of Caesar." I have little more to add, except that I find it fascinating and I was truly in awe when I saw it. I wish I could visit the British Museum, or Rome. Not anytime soon unfortunately.

"Beware the Ides of March" (especially this year)

I commemorate it every year and nearly missed it this time, but I managed to remember it and it is important that I remember. Today is the Ides of March, the anniversary of the assassination of Julius Caesar. On this day, in spite of various warnings, Julius Caesar went to a crowded place and look where it got him. This year more than ever, beware the Ides of March.

"The Ides of March"

Today is the 15th of March, day of the Ides of March, which is of course the anniversary of the assassination of Julius Caesar. For guys (or gals) like me who are into history, it is kind of a big deal. It is one of the day I always remember, and I always commemorate it on this blog. This year, I thought I would mark it by giving my readership a reading suggestion: the novel The Ides of March, by Italian author Valerio Massimo Manfredi. It is a fictionalization of the fateful day, which in spite of the tragic predictability of its plot, manages to be suspenseful. I enjoyed it anyway, when I read it back in March 2014 (I think it was 2014). Sure, it's not great literature, but it's solidly entertaining and it feels genuine. In any case, it is the perfect read for today.

Question existentielle (342)

Juste parce que ça s'en vient, une question existentielle sur le mois et sur l'histoire:

-Doit-on encore se méfier des Ides de Mars?

Je dirais oui, mais je suis curieux de vos réponses...

The Ides of March... on the stage!

Today is the 15th of March, the Ides of March, also known as the day Julius Caesar was murdered. It is an anniversary I commemorate every year on this blog. The date and the name is also famous because of the famous line "Beware the Ides of March" from Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare. Which I have neither read nor watched in its entirety yet. I could have the chance to see it no later than this month, as the National Theatre has the play in production and will broadcast it live on the 22nd of March. It is a fitting time of year to show the play. And a fitting time in British life as well, due to current events, which I don't intend to dwell on for now. It seems that we must indeed beware the Ides of March.

"Beware the Ides of March!"

I mention it every year because I think it deserves to be commemorated: we are the Ides of March, the day Julius Caesar was assassinated. But the famous quote is of course of Shakespeare. I thought I would share the quote dramatized by some great actors, then I remembered that it was also uttered by Lisa in The Simpsons. In Homer the Great, if you are curious. And I thought it was a funny way to use the line and to commemorate the day. So here it is. Homer's reply is also priceless.

César dans sa pourpre est tombé...

"Tu l'as vu ce fantôme altier
Qui jadis eut le monde entier
Sous son empire.
César dans sa pourpre est tombé:
Dans un petit manteau d'abbé
Sa veuve expire."

À mon frère, revenant d'Italie, Alfred de Musset

Je reviens sur les Ides de Mars d'hier. Quand je pense à la mort de Jules César, il me vient souvent en tête ces vers d'Alfred de Musset. Le poème est un grand hommage à l'Italie, dans ces vers il y a aussi un résumé parfait de ce qu'était et ce qu'est devenu Rome: d'abord un empire, maintenant plus qu'une ombre d'elle-même, avec des petits curés catholiques qui voient décliner la ville lentement mais sûrement. À peu près deux mille ans d'histoire en six vers. Il faudra bien que je visite Rome un jour et que je voie le fantôme altier évoqué par Musset...

"Beware the Ides of March"

Today is the Ides of March. Which means the day of the assassination of Julius Caesar. He was stabbed 23 times. I am not specialized in Roman history, nevertheless as a history buff, today is an anniversary to remember, when you could say history was truly made and made the way it usually is: in blood. You can read ten facts about the assassination of Caesar in this article from the Telegraph, some trivial, some less trivial. "Beware the Ides of March" is of course a quote from Shakespeare's play, which I have not seen in its entirety yet. when I imagine the murder of Julius Caesar, I imagine it as depicted in the TV series Rome, and the days leading to it as they were depicted in the novel The Ides of March by Valerio Massimo Manfredi, which I quite enjoyed. Ironic, a bloody drama is now something used as entertainment. The Ides of March are full of irony.

An aria for a lazy Sunday

On a lazy Sunday, I often listen to opera. I am doing this right now and I thought I would share it with my readership. This is from Handel's Giulio Cesare. A rather modern take by Danielle de Niese, who plays/sings Cleopatra. I am always a bit skeptical about Danielle de Niese's often pop star-like  mannerism when she sings. I mentioned it the very first time I blogged about her. I know she has also been very much criticized for it. On the other hand, opera will not survive if it remains stiff and formal. And I grew rather found of Danielle de Niese. She may not be the greatest soprano ever, but she has plenty of charm and confidence. And for some reason, her rather carefree attitude reminds me of a pleasant Sunday or a pleasant weekend of far niente. I know, I trivialize the great Handel. But this performance is a delight, all the same.

Crossing rivers and casting dices

My brother PJ wrote on his Facebook wall, for an unknown reason (to me at least): "Alea iacta est", the immortal line attributed to Julius Caesar. Somebody asked him if he crossed the Gatineau river. Which PJ does every day. And the Ottawa river. So I said: "It is not as classy as crossing the Rubicon and far more mortifying." I still don't know what my brother meant by it, but I think I wrote another great unknown line. Not nearly as great as Caesar's line, but this one is all mine, not merely attributed to me. And it cannot be truly great referring to the Gatineau and Ottawa rivers. But great unknown lines are not meant to be truly great, if not they wouldn't be unknown. Anyway, I find it funny that crossing the river can be something usually very banal, yet it can take such a dramatic importance and has such symbolic ring to it. Moral of the story: I miss Caesar.

Beware the Ides of March

Today is the Ides of March, so I had to give proper warning to people who read this blog on the day Julius Caesar was murdered. Until the end of the afternoon, today was sunny and warm, a perfect Spring day. Then there was a slow cooling down and I ended up feeling quite cold in my light clothes. So this is the moral of this non story: beware the Ides of March. Caesar was murdered in March for a reason.

Roman Passover

This is another Easter related post, with a twist. Today is Good Friday, which is a strange name for a day when Jesus was supposedly executed by Roman law. He died following the Passover. Passover is also the title of the first episode of the HBO historical drama Rome. It is one of those TV series I really love and I blogged before about it on a few occasions. The episode is aptly titled, as it pictures the events after the death of Julius Caesar. It is about the passage of power when the one who held power was destroyed because of it, only for his power to remain potent from the grave. This is one thing Jesus and Caesar share. So I decided to upload here the scene when Mark Antony manages to manipulate the assassins of Caesar in exchange for... Well, you'll see. The conspirators will end up there. But before then, leading to it, there is this brilliant scene of manipulation (with some violence too near the end, be warned, it was a bloody series):