The Ides of March | Smartest Year Ever (Mar 15, 2025)
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About this episode
Beware the Ides of March! You’ve heard the phrase, but do you know why it exists? The Ides of March—March 15th—was just a normal Roman date… until Julius Caesar was assassinated by his own senators in 44 BCE. Shakespeare later dramatized the betrayal, but what really happened that day?
📌 Today’s episode covers:
The real history behind Caesar’s murder
Why March 15th was a Roman payday before it became infamous
"Et tu, Brute?" – Did Caesar actually say that?
Fun facts about Roman debt collection, bad omens, and historical superstitions
Sources:
Suetonius, The Twelve Caesars, c. 121 CE.
Plutarch, Life of Caesar, c. 75 CE.
Shakespeare, Julius Caesar, 1599.
Everitt, Anthony. The Rise of Rome: The Making of the World's Greatest Empire. Random House, 2012.
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#SmartestYearEver #History #JuliusCaesar #IdesOfMarch #FunFacts #DailyFacts
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