city Rome, Italy: Latest News

A picture taken on February 27, 2019 shows the Colosseum in Rome, Italy.

(Photo credit should read Laurent Emmanuel/AFP via Getty Images) Every March 15, the dark history behind the 74th day in the Roman calendar has led many to think of bad omens and doom, but the day has a deep history and purpose. The date has been used in a variety of media in both theater, television and novels to betray the death of Roman general Julius Caesar. Spiritual prophecies made during this day about Caesar's death helped the Ides of March stay relevant into modern times. However, the Ides of March had a useful purpose in determining when the full moon would appear for the first time in the year — and it was an important religious date during pre-Christian Rome. The Ides of March translates in Latin to "Idus Martias," which means the middle of the month in March.The Romans commonly used these terms during this period to define certain points and numerical dates throughout the year. The Roman Calendar used Ides to designate the middle of the month for May, July and October.During the month, not only did the dates always fall on the 15th, but the full moon would also appear in the sky, which was the original use of the term Ides and the lunar origin of the Roman Calendar. The Ides of March in the early Roman Calendar were originally designated to determine when the first full moon of the new year occurred. The Romans did not use a typical numerical count of each day of the month; instead, they counted from three fixed points during a month, which consisted of the Nones, the 5th or 7th; the Ides, which was commonly the 13th except on the specific months previously mentioned; and the Kalends, which was the 1st of the next month. (Original

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