Beware The Ides Of March: Displayed Coin Reminds
By Swatilekha, Gaea News NetworkMonday, March 15, 2010
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM (GaeaTimes.com)- The 15th day of the month of March is known across the world as the Ides of March. The day is infamously associated with the murder of Julius Caesar, who was assassinated on this particular day in 44 B.C. The Ides of March was immortalized by William Shakespeare’s play “Julius Caesar” in which the phrase ‘beware the ides of March’ is delivered to the emperor by a fortune teller. The British Museum would be marking the day by displaying a gold coin today, which was supposedly made by the emperor’s disloyal friend Brutus, who is known to have led the conspiracy against Julius Caesar.
According to reports, the London-based museum had encountered the gold coin in 1932 but unfortunately could not purchase the historic coin then. The gold artifact again came within the limits of the British Museum following a loan from a private collector. This led the museum to display the coin for public viewing and what could have been a better day then the Ides of March, which is observed today. The exquisite artifact shows an image of Brutus on one side and displays two daggers with the date, Eid Mar, the Ides of March, on the other side.
Apparently, when the coin was being minted, a hole was punched on its top, which gives the idea that it might have been worn by one of the conspirators as a talisman. Although around 60 silver versions of the coin is known to exist, only one coin supposedly exists in gold. Emperor Julius Caesar was killed after he was stabbed as many as 23 times at the Roman Senate on the Ides of March.
