By
Syed Ibrahim Rizvi
Ever since man started keeping track of time and dividing the year into definite periods, the month of March has always occupied a special place.
It is no wonder that the calendar that existed in Roman empire prior to 46 BC started with the month of March, which was designated as the first month of the year.
The Roman calendar is ascribed to have been started by the first legendary King Romulus, who is credited for establishing Rome.
The Roman calendar consisted of ten months, beginning in spring season with March as the first month. The word March originates from the Latin word “Martius,” which was named after Mars, the Roman god of war.
In the beginning the Roman calendar had thirty-eight weeks with each week having eight days.
However, later the existing Roman calendar was modified and two months preceding March was added making the number of months to be twelve.
Interestingly the months of January and February are also of Roman origin, January is named after Janus, the Roman god of beginnings and transitions, while February’s name comes from the ancient Roman festival of purification called ‘Februa’.
It is therefore not surprising the present-day names of the months owe their names to Roman origin.
‘June’ originates from the Latin word “Iunius,” which is believed to be derived from the Roman goddess Juno, the protector of marriage and childbirth.
July derives its origin from Julius Ceaser and August from Augustus Ceaser. September means ‘seven’ October means ‘eight’, November means ‘nine’ and ‘December’ means ten.
It was in the year 46 BC that after his victory in a Civil War, Julius Ceaser reformed the existing calendar which then became more in sync with the solar system and also aligned well with the system that was being followed in Egypt.
The calendar now began to be known as the Julian calendar.
Any description of the history of calendar would indeed be incomplete without the mention of the assassination of Julius Ceasar.
The Roman emperor was assassinated in 44 BC on March 15 by a group of senators which included Cassius and Brutus during a Senate session at the Curia of Pompey, located within Rome’s Theatre of Pompey.
Legend has it that a soothsayer had warned Ceasar to be ‘beware the Ides of March’. In the Roman calendar the ‘Ides’ would mean the middle of any month and would denote the days between 13 and 15.
The assassination of Julius Ceasar was a not a big milestone in Roman history, after Julius Ceasar’s death Augustus Ceasar assumed the throne and ruled as efficiently as Julius Ceasar.
However, sixteen hundred years later, in 1599, English playwright and celebrated author William Shakespeare dramatized the assassination of Julius Ceasar in his tragic play Julius Ceasar in a manner that this literary work now occupies a sacred place in English Literature.
It is true that if Shakespeare would not have written Julius Ceasar, the name would surely have been confined to only the pages Roman history.
The dramatization of the assassination of Julius Ceasar has created several folklores, ‘beware the Ides of March’ still excites authors and playwrights to use this expression in their literary works.
Equally interesting and frequently used expression ‘Et tu Brute, then falls Ceasar’ finds widespread usage for explaining the situation when one is betrayed by a friend.
Despite the fall of Julius Ceasar, who is credited with the beginning of the Julian Calendar, the history of calendar didn’t end.
It was Pope Gregory XIII in October 1582 who made modifications to the Julian calendar. The new calendar was adopted and is now described as the Gregorian calendar.
Despite the changes in the organization of the calendar, beginning from Roman era dating back to centuries before Christ to the present times, the month of March has always occupied a special place in human life.
The month of spring somehow brings joy and gaiety. Although a western concept, but the English expression ‘Spring in the steps” is an idiom that means walking with energy and a lively, upbeat manner, often signifying happiness or confidence.
It is no wonder that the month of March also heralds the festival of Holi. The splash of colours is a joy to behold. Each colour exemplifies a thousand emotions. The fun and frolic that follows is enticingly beautiful.
However strange are the ways of humans. While nature brings such joy and happiness during the month of March when the beautiful season of Spring kicks in, mortals have surprisingly chosen this month in which all the yearly examinations begin.
Indeed, it is so depressing to see an adolescent immersed in books preparing for a forthcoming examination during the month of March.
While everyone rejoices to the exuberance of the Spring season, the children are made to prepare for their examinations. Indeed, a Shakespearean tragedy!!
(The author is Professor of Biochemistry at University of Allahabad)
