# The Ides of March **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 15, 2014, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ides-of-march/683762 "2014-03-15T12:44:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2014, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ides-of-march/683762/1 "2014-03-15T12:44:08Z")
Why is March 15 considered the ides of March? If it’s supposed to be the middle of the month, shouldn’t it be the 16th? ---
**Author:** ![Ms\_Boods](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5e9695/32.png) [@Ms\_Boods](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms_Boods)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2014, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ides-of-march/683762/2 "2014-03-15T13:58:24Z")
> [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](#): > > Why is March 15 considered the ides of March? If it’s supposed to be the middle of the month, shouldn’t it be the 16th? The Ides fall on either the 13th or 15th of the month, depending. So sometimes it’s the 13th (ie September). Don’t forget the nones (9th or 11th) and kalends (1st). ---
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2014, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ides-of-march/683762/3 "2014-03-15T15:08:25Z")
CAESAR: The Ides of March are come. ---
**Author:** ![minionkat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@minionkat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minionkat)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2014, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ides-of-march/683762/4 "2014-03-15T16:18:17Z")
Soothsayer: Ay, Caesar; but not gone. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2014, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ides-of-march/683762/5 "2014-03-15T16:22:03Z")
I feel bad for the other Ides. All months have them. No one ever notes the arrival of the Ides of August. (Although that 13th or 15th business is peculiar.) But the March one gets all the press. Just because of a soothsayer in a 400 year old play. ---
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2014, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ides-of-march/683762/6 "2014-03-16T05:02:42Z")
“Have you ever noticed that a soothsayer says the sooth, the whole sooth, and nothing but the sooth?” --Richard Armour ---
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2014, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ides-of-march/683762/7 "2014-03-16T05:08:56Z")
_¡Cuidado por los Idus de marzo!_ ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2014, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ides-of-march/683762/8 "2014-03-16T11:33:23Z")
The play matches history (or at least legend): [QUOTE=Plutarch’s Lives Vol III paragraph? LXIII] The following stories also are told by many; that a certain seer warned him to be on his guard against great danger on that day of the month of March, which the Romans call the Ides; and when the day had arrived, as Cæsar was going to the Senate-house, he saluted the seer and jeered him saying, “Well, the Ides of March are come;” but the seer mildly replied, “Yes, they are come, but they are not yet over.” [/QUOTE] Brian ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2014, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ides-of-march/683762/9 "2014-03-16T13:32:44Z")
“I say! You are in need of a soothsayer.” “How did you know?” “I’d be a fine soothsayer if I didn’t.” (Gotta love Zero Mostel.) ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2014, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ides-of-march/683762/10 "2014-03-16T14:13:11Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > “I say! You are in need of a soothsayer.” > “How did you know?” > “I’d be a fine soothsayer if I didn’t.” > > (Gotta love Zero Mostel.) “A big, strong boy…and a strange little boy. No…aaaaiaaiaia a girl! A girl!”"