Listen&Learn: The Ides of March

Learn about the day of Julius Caesar’s assassination.

Pre-listening vocabulary

• assassination: the murder of a political leader
• senator: a politician who makes laws
• elect: to vote someone into a governing position
• tyranny: the absolute power of one person
• debt: a payment that someone owes to someone else
• oracle: someone who is believed to see the future
• superstition: a belief that a random event or action will bring good or bad luck

Listening activity

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Gapfill exercise

On March 15, 44 BCE, Roman ruler Julius Caesar was stabbed in a meeting hall called the Curia of Pompey. Over 60 people participated in the assassination. Many of them were senators in Caesar’s own . Caesar was originally an elected of the Roman Republic. Before his assassination, Caesar had given himself the power to rule for life. His government believed that killing him would Rome from tyranny. However, the incident actually caused Caesar’s adopted son, Augustus, to come to power as the first Roman emperor. March 15, the “Ides” or the middle of March, was important to the Romans because it was a deadline for debt payments. In Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, an oracle tells Caesar to “beware the Ides of March.” This line has led to the superstition that March 15 is an day.

Comprehension questions

See answers below

1. On March 15, 44 BCE, Julius Caesar
   a. was elected ruler of the Roman Republic
   b. gave himself absolute power
   c. was assassinated by his own senators
   
2. To the Romans, the “Ides of March” was
   a. a religious holiday
   b. a festival for the arts
   c. a deadline for debts
   
3. In Shakespeare’s play, the character who says “beware the Ides of March” is
   a. a Roman senator
   b. an oracle
   c. Caesar himself

Discussion/essay questions

1. Some other common superstitions include crossing fingers, knocking on wood, and avoiding 13th floors. Do you believe or practise any superstitions? Why or why not?

Transcript

On March 15, 44 BCE, Roman ruler Julius Caesar was stabbed in a meeting hall called the Curia of Pompey. Over 60 people participated in the assassination. Many of them were senators in Caesar’s own government. Caesar was originally an elected leader of the Roman Republic. Before his assassination, Caesar had given himself the power to rule for life. His government believed that killing him would protect Rome from tyranny. However, the incident actually caused Caesar’s adopted son, Augustus, to come to power as the first Roman emperor. March 15, the “Ides” or the middle of March, was important to the Romans because it was a deadline for debt payments. In Shakespeare’s play Julius Caesar, an oracle tells Caesar to “beware the Ides of March.” This line has led to the superstition that March 15 is an unlucky day.

Answers to comprehension questions

1c 2c 3b