Beware the ides of March
Beware the ides of March means watch out for approaching danger, often with a playful reference to March 15; it appears in Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar. The ides was a calendar marker in ancient Rome, falling on the fifteenth day of March.
Where it comes from
The warning in the play
A soothsayer warns Caesar about March 15. Caesar dismisses him, but the warning points ahead to his assassination.
During a public celebration in Julius Caesar, a soothsayer calls out to Caesar from the crowd. Caesar briefly listens, then brushes the man aside.
In Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare
The meaning today
Today the phrase signals that trouble may be coming, especially around March 15. It often sounds literary or lightly teasing rather than like an urgent warning.
In Julius Caesar, Caesar later points out that March 15 has arrived without disaster. The soothsayer reminds him that the day is not yet over, a moment that helps explain the phrase’s lasting sense of danger.
In Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare
How to use Beware the ides of March
- Use it to suggest that trouble may be approaching.
- Keep the connection to March 15 clear when the date matters.
- Choose a direct warning instead when someone faces immediate danger.
What are the ides of March?
The ides of March is March 15 in the ancient Roman calendar. The ides fell on the fifteenth in March, May, July, and October, and on the thirteenth in other months. In Julius Caesar, March 15 is the day Caesar is killed.
Does the phrase mean March 15 is unlucky?
No, the phrase does not mean March 15 is unlucky for everyone. Its threatening meaning comes from the warning and assassination in Julius Caesar. People now use it to hint at trouble, sometimes simply because the date is approaching.
Related terms
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