And the ides of just about any other month. The ancient Romans
were a superstitious lot, with more bad days than you could shake a rabbit’s
foot at. Augers constantly read the
signs and sent emperors running for safety by interpreting everything from
thunderstorms to bull entrails. However,
the Romans also knew how to party and they loved a good holiday. They enjoyed
them so much, they were constantly declaring new ones to celebrate a military
victory or appease angry foreign gods. In any given year, there were more
holidays than workdays and with so many days off, it’s a wonder there were
enough people around to keep the empire running.
Emperor Augustus was said to be one of the most superstitious
of all Roman leaders. He barely got up in the morning without having his auger
check to see which way the birds were flying or if lightning planned to strike.
I don’t blame him for being cautious. Julius Caesar had lots of warning from
oracles before he headed off to the senate on that fateful March day, but did
he listen? No, and look how things turned out for him.
Many ancient Roman superstitious customs are still with us
today. Blessing someone after they
sneeze is a holdover from ancient Rome. So
is the belief that a black cat crossing your path will bring bad luck. Wearing a veil was a must for ancient Roman brides
since it was thought to protect her from evil spirits. June, named after the
goddess of marriage Juno, is still considered one of the luckiest times to wed.
Thankfully, the Roman custom of checking pig entrails to decide the best day to
hold the wedding has fallen out of favor.
So, as you enjoy March 15, do your part to avoid bad
luck. Party a little to appease a few deities, check your horoscope, step over
the threshold with your left foot, and if you accidentally stumble on the way
out the door, call in sick. You don’t want to risk having a Julius Caesar kind
of day.
To get you in the mood for the ides, please check out my ancient Rome novella
MASK OF THE GLADIATOR. It has all the emperor assassination, conspiracy and love you can handle from ancient Rome.
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