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Let's start by getting the official explanation of the significance of today's date from that well-known source of all wisdom - ChatGPT Plus!
"The Ides of March is a historical date that falls on March 15th each year.
The term "Ides" comes from the Roman calendar, which divided each month into three parts: the Kalends, Nones, and Ides. The Ides usually fell on the 13th or 15th day of the month, depending on the month's length.
The Ides of March is primarily known for its significance in Roman history, particularly because it marks the assassination of Julius Caesar in 44 BCE.
Caesar was a prominent political and military figure who played a critical role in the transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire. He was assassinated by a group of Roman senators led by Marcus Brutus, Gaius Cassius Longinus, and Decimus Brutus. The senators, who saw Caesar's increasing power as a threat to the Roman Republic, conspired to kill him in order to protect their political ideals.
The assassination of Caesar has been immortalized in various forms of art and literature, notably in William Shakespeare's play "Julius Caesar," which features the famous line "Beware the Ides of March."
The phrase has come to symbolize a warning of impending danger or betrayal.
In modern times, the Ides of March is not widely celebrated or commemorated. However, it is still remembered as an important date in history due to its association with Julius Caesar's assassination and the significant political events that followed.
It serves as a reminder of the potential consequences of unchecked ambition and the fragility of political power."
Perhaps in the media today there will be references to that fragile nature of political survival in the modern world.
Certainly, those doomed to deliver NHS Dentistry should perhaps take a moment to heed the warning as we approach the end of the contract year.
For those of us who lead in business and in life, we should take a moment to look at our leadership style and ask whether we encourage loyalty or the desire to stab us to death given half the chance.
God forbid you ever have to utter the line.....
"Et tu Brute? Then fall, Caesar."