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.
May 15, 2020
Got this back when I was pregnant, but I’ll be keeping it forever, it’s just so handy. I don’t go to the movie theater that often (even back before quarantine when you actually could…) but I make sure the app and the movie list are all current and updated, cause it’s so handy! It’s great for running late cause you can read their summary, obviously awesome for bathroom or snack breaks mid movie, and I also love that it tells you if there’s anything after the credits which is very handy.
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 Wicked, Gladiator II, Red One, The Wild Robot and coming soon Moana 2, The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, Kraven the Hunter, Mufasa: The Lion King 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