Many people associate March 15th, the Ides of March, with the assassination of Julius Caesar…but the Ides of March had been around long before Caesar was bumped off by his friends.
The Romans didn’t number days of the month from the first to the last; instead they counted backwards from three fixed points of the month: the Nones, the Ides, and the Kalends. The Ides occurred near the midpoint on the 13th of some months, but falls on the 15th in the month of March. The Ides of each month was sacred to Jupiter, the Romans’ supreme deity, and notable for the Romans as a deadline for settling debt. So how does this relate to Caesar?
According to Plutarch, a seer named Spurinna had warned Caesar he was in danger that would come no later than the Ides of March. On his way to the Theater of Pompey, he passed the seer and said, “The Ides of March are come,” in a jesting way. The seer responded with, “Aye, Caesar, but not gone!”
The World’s Most Indispensable Movie App
The RunPee app tells you the best times to
run & pee during a movie
so you don't miss the best scenes.
Download the RunPee app.
100% free (donation supported)
As they say, the rest is history. Caesar’s death was a closing event in the period known as the Crisis of the Roman Republic, and triggered the civil war that enabled Caesar’s adopted son, Augustus, to become the first Emperor of the Roman Empire.
Heads up guys: if you think the movie The Ides of March is about Julius Caesar…it’s not. However, if you want to watch a film about the ancient Roman Dictator during the Ides of March as a way to celebrate events from long ago, here’s a few that made my list.
Top Five Films About Julius Caesar and Rome
- Cleopatra (1963), starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton.
- Julius Caesar (1953), starring Marlon Brando and James Mason.
- Spartacus (1960), starring Kirk Douglas and Tony Curtis.
- Rome (2005 – 2007), starring Kevin McKidd and Ray Stevenson.
- Gladiator (2000) – This isn’t about Julius Caesar, but it’s a fantastic film featuring Rome, and is always worth a re-watch. Gladiator landed 29 film awards, including the Oscars for Best Picture, and a Best Actor win for Russel Crowe. It’s among the IMDb’s Top 250 Films and is also a MUST-SEE RunPee favorite.
All these movies are Oscar winners and spectacular in its own way, but my strongest recommendation is Rome, a 2005 – 2007 mini-series shown on HBO. It has been praised for its historical authenticity, high production values, and simultaneous grit and splendor. The show won 19 awards and was nominated for an additional 36 awards.
Beware the Ides of March,
RunPee Mom
What people are saying
about the RunPee app.
Single best investment
By and far best investment Ive made. I used to drive my husband nuts because Id be a fidgeting mess the last half hour of the movie trying not to miss important parts. Now I just turn this app on and *bam* I can actually focus on the movie the whole time. Even puts alerts to my watch so even better. Also I can guarentee all the 5 reviews arent fake as one person accused – its just that so many of us movie-goers had the same problem and this fixed it. Yes, it is paid but jeeze its expensive to keep watching movies and updating an app for every movie. And if you read more about the creator he mentions he has several people contributing – so yeah its paid but omg worth every cent. 10/10
Developers note: the RunPee app is now, and always will be, 100% free. Donations are optional.
View all reviews
Apple App Store | Google Play Store
Download RunPee app
Don’t miss your favorite movie moments because you have to pee or need a snack. Use the RunPee app (Androidor iPhone) when you go to the movies. We have Peetimes for all wide release films every week, including Red One, Venom: The Last Ride , Transformers One, The Wild Robot and coming soon Wicked, Gladiator II, Moana 2 and many others. We have literally thousands of Peetimes—from classic movies through today’s blockbusters. You can also keep up with movie news and reviews on our blog, or by following us on Twitter @RunPee. If there’s a new film out there, we’ve got your bladder covered.
Leave a Reply