In the United States, Friday the 13 is known as an “unlucky” day by superstitious people. Another famously unlucky day for some is March 15, also known as, “The Ides of March.” The Ides of March is so unlucky that it is often spoken as a warning: “Beware the Ides of March.” First, what exactly is an “ides?” The Latin root of “ides,” a singular word, means “to divide.” So, the ides of any month falls in its middle. The Roman calendar set ides on the 15th in March, May, July and October or on the 13th in the other months. The ides of a month usually falls on the first day of a full moon. In Roman times, the Ides of March was known as a date for paying off debts. But this connection was quickly lost because of different timing between calendar months and changes in the moon’s appearance. The Ides of March was also a time people celebrated Mars, the god of war. But why do some people still use the expression, "Beware of the Ides of March"? Why do they consider it an unlucky day? March 15 was very unlucky for one man a very long time ago. On that date in the year 44 BC Julius Caesar was killed.
Title: The History of the Ides of March
Content: <div id='article-page'><div id='article-content' data-media-url='//news-app-staging.s3.amazonaws.com' data-base-url='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/4950/B.wav' data-capture-url='//staging.analytics.lingraphica.com/events/capture_news' data-article-title='The History of the Ides of March' data-article-id='5474'><script src='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/javascripts/getscripts.js'></script><link rel='stylesheet' href='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/stylesheets/article.css' type='text/css' /><div class='article'><p><span data-start-time='0' data-end-time='8313'>In the United States, Friday the 13 is known as an “unlucky” day by superstitious people.</span> <span data-start-time='8313' data-end-time='18042'>Another famously unlucky day for some is March 15, also known as, “The Ides of March.”</span> <span data-start-time='18042' data-end-time='27563'>The Ides of March is so unlucky that it is often spoken as a warning: “Beware the Ides of March.”</span> <span data-start-time='27563' data-end-time='38167'>First, what exactly is an “ides?” The Latin root of “ides,” a singular word, means “to divide.”</span> <span data-start-time='38167' data-end-time='43000'>So, the ides of any month falls in its middle.</span> <span data-start-time='43000' data-end-time='55375'>The Roman calendar set ides on the 15th in March, May, July and October or on the 13th in the other months.</span> <span data-start-time='55375' data-end-time='61729'> The ides of a month usually falls on the first day of a full moon.</span> <span data-start-time='61729' data-end-time='69292'>In Roman times, the Ides of March was known as a date for paying off debts.</span> <span data-start-time='69292' data-end-time='80896'>But this connection was quickly lost because of different timing between calendar months and changes in the moon’s appearance.</span> <span data-start-time='80896' data-end-time='88750'>The Ides of March was also a time people celebrated Mars, the god of war.</span> <span data-start-time='88750' data-end-time='96188'>But why do some people still use the expression, "Beware of the Ides of March"?</span> <span data-start-time='96188' data-end-time='100146'>Why do they consider it an unlucky day?</span> <span data-start-time='100146' data-end-time='106875'>March 15 was very unlucky for one man a very long time ago.</span> <span data-start-time='106875' data-end-time='113833'>On that date in the year 44 BC Julius Caesar was killed.</span> </p></div><div class='control-buttons-sticky' style='display:none;'><div class='control-buttons'><button title='Back' class='back' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Play' class='play' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Pause' class='pause' style='display:none;'></button><button title='Forward' class='forward' disabled='disabled'></button><button class='finished-reading' style='display:none;'>Done</button></div></div></div><div id='article-media'><div id='media-image'><img src='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/4950/B.jpg'/></div></div><div id='question-content' style='display:none;'><div class='vocabulary_question question-container' data-question-id=16992 data-hint-location='27563' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/4950/_what_is_the_latin_root_of_the_word_ides.wav'> What is the Latin root of the word ides?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='to divide'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/4950/to_kill_.wav'><span>to kill </span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/4950/to_marry.wav'><span>to marry</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/4950/to_divide.wav'><span>to divide</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/4950/to_die.wav'><span>to die</span></div></div></div><div class='multiple_choice_question question-container' data-question-id=16993 data-hint-location='106875' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/4950/when_was_julius_caesar_killed.wav'>When was Julius Caesar killed?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='44 BC'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/4950/44_bc.wav'><span>44 BC</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/4950/440_ad.wav'><span>440 AD</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/4950/44_ad.wav'><span>44 AD</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/4950/47_bc.wav'><span>47 BC</span></div></div></div><div class='sentence_completion_question question-container' data-question-id=16994 data-hint-location='8313' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/4950/the_ides_of_march_falls_on__blank_.wav'>The Ides of March falls on <span class='blank'>March 15 </span>.</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='March 15 '><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/4950/march_17.wav'><span>March 17</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/4950/march_11.wav'><span>March 11</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/4950/march_15_.wav'><span>March 15 </span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/4950/march_31.wav'><span>March 31</span></div></div></div><div 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