Beware the Ides of March!
Since today is exactly 2,063 years since the assassination of Julius Caesar (44 BCE, I believe) I’ve decided to visit Rome’s Teatro de Largo, where the Gruppo Storico Romano is putting on a historical re-enactment of the dramatic events that occurred, leading up to the death of the ‘Dictator Perpetuo.’ This open-air performance takes place annually and, I am told, is always crowded. After the Emperor’s murder, his body is taken away but the fun doesn’t end there - a funeral procession follows, culminating at the Temple of Divus Julius (in the heart of the Roman Forum).
Rather than bore you to death with a long, drawn-out historical explanation for the events of this day, I’m attaching a few photos of the scene…
1.. Here are the crowds at Teatro de Largo, jostling for space as the event begins. I had to move around quite a bit to find spaces to peek through (if you want a bird’s eye view, get there at least 30 minutes before the performance begins).
2. Members of the Roman Forum gathering together before the fateful assassination takes place…
3. The drama intensifies…
4. Caesar’s body is wrapped in a regal red cloth and carried away…
5. The funeral procession organises itself, with the body surrounded by trusted guards…
6. Carried by Roman guards, the body of Caesar is lifted up and sets off from Teatro de Largo to the Forum, through the streets of Rome…
7. It’s the end of a long afternoon and one of the group, still in costume, is preparing to head off for a beer…
