The Temple of Saturn in the Roman Forum, Rome, Italy

© Nico De Pasquale Photography/Getty Image

Friends, Romans, countrymen. Ides of March

As William Shakespeare wrote in his play 'Julius Caesar,' 'Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears.' Today is the Ides of March, a day steeped in Roman history and tradition. The term 'Ides' referred to the midpoint of the month in the Roman calendar, often marking the full moon. It was a time of celebration, with festivals and public gatherings. However, in 44 BCE, the Ides of March became synonymous with political upheaval, betrayal and an event that would trigger the fall of the Roman Republic. On that fateful day, Julius Caesar, Rome's powerful dictator, was assassinated by a group of senators. The conspirators, including his close ally Brutus, believed they were saving the Republic from Caesar's growing authority. Caesar was attacked near the Theatre of Pompey, but the tension of that moment echoed through the Roman Forum—the beating heart of Rome's political and social life.

Strolling through the Forum, in present-day Italy, you can now see the remnants of history and the ruins of a once-mighty empire. Among its many treasures is the Temple of Saturn, pictured here. One of the Forum's oldest and most revered structures, it once guarded the Roman treasury, a stark symbol of the Republic Caesar's assassins claimed to protect.