The Ides of March

When many of us hear this phrase we find ourselves picturing George Clooney and Ryan Gosling locked inside a political mind-maze. To some of us, however, the true meaning takes us back over two thousand years to the days of Julius Caesar. "Ides" is a Latin term referring to the halfway point in a month. The "ides" falls on the 15th of March, May, July and October and the 13th of all remaining months. It was a soothsayer who told Julius Caesar "beware the ides of March."

It was the ides of March when a meeting of the Senate was called. Caesar hesitated and put off going to the Senate meeting until the last moment. He commented to the soothsayer saying that the ides of March had come without him being harmed. The soothsayer replied that they had indeed come, "but they had not gone." As he entered the meeting, all seemed well and ordinary. One consul approached him as if to ask a question. All at once Julius Caesar was seized and stabbed 23 times. The assassination was a conspiracy concocted by his own friends and consuls. Over 60 people were involved in the conspiracy leading to Julius Caesar's death.

  

So, how are the Albuquerque Libraries spending the ides of March this year?

• The Main Library will be holding its Paper Bag Puppet Contest

• Watch Dr. Seuss Movies at the South Broadway Library 1:30pm-3:00pm

• Bring your teen to the Cherry Hills Library from 3:00pm-4:30pm and learn how to make Duct Tape Wallets *Registration required

• Make Homemade Greeting Cards at the Erna Fergusson Library 4:00pm-6:00pm

• Explore Poetry Around the World at the Tony Hillerman Library 4:00pm-5:00pm

• Don't miss the North Valley Knitters:Classes for Beginners at the North Valley Library 5:30pm-6:30pm

If it is George Clooney and Ryan Gosling your after click here to reserve your copy of The Ides of March today!