The Ides Of March Are Come

Above Cars parked at the Church today. At the right Philip James Simmons.


I can’t help but think that there is some uncanny or eerie kind of symbolism, or ominous warning given today on this March 15, 2006, the ides of March. Recall that on March 15, 44 B.C.E. that this ominous warning was heard: “Beware the ides of March.”

Scholars say that it was Spurinna, the unidentified Roman soothsayer in Shakespeare’s play, Julius Caesar, who warned Caesar that on the Ides of March he would be in great danger, but if he took care on that day all would be well.

The word “ides” was derived from Latin meaning “to divide.” In the months of March, May July and October the ides fall on the 15th day. Ides were originally meant to mark the full moon. This week that unsettle feeling was everywhere. Several people over the course of the past few days have mentioned to me the uneasy feelings they have been having.

When Spurinna met Caesar on his way to the Roman Senate, Caesar is reputed to have said to the Soothsayer:

“The ides of March have come.”

It is acknowledged that Spurinna’s reply to Caesar was:

“Yes, they have come, but they have not past.”

We all know that Caesar’s enemies assassinated him in the Pompey theatre, at the foot of Pompey’s statue, not far from where the Roman Senate was meeting that day in the temple of Venus.

Today, I attended a funeral and this thought continually ran through my mind, “Beware the ides of March.” I am well aware that it has not past.

Today Harvey and Alice Simmons’ buried their son, Philip James “Rabbit” Simmons. Some 700 seated mourners fill the North Preston Community Centre and another two hundred and a half, remained standing. It was so well attended I could find no seat and no sermon agendas were left.

To give you an idea of how large the attendance of mourners grew I took a photo of the cars parked around the adjacent property.

The symbolism with the ides of March and Caesar’s assassination on that day and Philip’s burial today on the ides of March and how he met his death seemed so chillingly striking that I could not but mentioned the warning here.

Rest easy Rabbit, the ides of March are upon us all...



As always, well wishes,

F. Stanley Boyd