Tory Historian's blog: the Ides of March

March, on the whole, is not a good time for tyrants and oppressive regimes. It is the month of uprisings and revolutions, regardless of what happens to them afterwards. March 15, for instance saw the start of the Hungarian revolution of 1848.

Most famously, of course, it is the Ides of March, the day on which Julius Caesar was assassinated by a group of conspirators, some of whom, at least, were intent on preserving the Roman republic. That came to a bad end, too. Here are a few illustrations:

 The soothsayer warns Caesar of the Ides of March in a nineteenth century illustration to Shakespeare's play.

Louis Calhern (Caesar) is being stabbed by Edmond O'Brien (Casca) in the abysmal 1953 film, which saw Marlon Brando (Mark Antony) assassinating some of Shakespeare's finest lines. 

And finally, how could one resist this: