Ides of March - A Tidbit of Lore
Reposted with permission from dr_nebula:
The Ides of March - and Caesar's Comet
Most of you know at least a little bit about the significance of the Ides of March, and the events leading up, and following Julius Caesar's assassination. But unless you collect ancient coins, you're not likely to come across the story of Caesar's Comet. Part of this story can be found in my article Striking Ancient Skies in the March 2005 edition of Astronomy, and details on this and other astronomical coins can also be found at this site.
The Great Comet of 44 BC
Note: The obverse (front) is a portrait of Augustus, the reverse shows the 8-rayed comet and the inscription: DIVVS IVLIVS - or "divine Julius"
Until the last couple hundred years, comets have often been associated with dire and/or major events on Earth. Caesar's Comet of 44 BC certainly added greatly to this mystique. This great comet was first recorded by ancient astronomers/astrologers in both Rome and China in early may, 44 BC - only a couple short months after the "Ides of March". At the time it was brighter than the planet Jupiter ( est. ~ -3 magnitude, it was the brightest object in the night sky) to the lower left of the constellation of Orion, the mighty hunter. This bright visitor undoubtedly caused a major stir among the populace of the empire, but soon afterward the comet was lost due vast clouds of volcanic ash from huge eruptions of Mt. Etna in the island of Sicily. A bright comet and volcanic eruptions (!) following his assassination - yes, doom and gloom was upon the citizens of Rome.
But in China, the progress of the comet orbit monitored as it passed through Taurus and Perseus, slowly dimming with time. Meanwhile, Octavian (later known as Augustus Caesar) decided to throw an Olympic-like event in commemoration of his dead uncle known as Caesar's Funeral Games during the month of July. The comet, as if on cue - undergoes a dramatic flare-up in brightness (while in the constellation of Cassiopeia) on the opening day of the games.
Caesar's comet brightness surged nearly 10 magnitudes (1000 times!) - and becomes visible even during the daylight! The Roman propaganda machine got rolling and declared that this was taken as a omen that Caesar's spirit was now ascending into the heavens. The flare-up was visible during the entire run of the games only to dim after its completion, according to the historians of the time.
In 18 BC, another brilliant comet lit up the skies. Augustus, emperor of Rome since 31 BC wasn't one to miss a good propaganda opportunity. He declared that this was the return of Julius Caesar's spirit, and minted the famous comet coin in the image above. A series of silver denarii were produced and distributed across the length and breath of the Empire and are among the most sought after and famous of all ancient coins.
I actually own one, as a WINTERHOLIDAY$ gift from J, though mine isn't nearly as nice as the one I've posted. If you're interested in checking out a huge variety of ancient Roman and Greek coins - go to this site. Just pick a ruler or city/country and make sure you turn the thumbnails 'on'.
Very fascinating reading!
The Ides of March - and Caesar's Comet
Most of you know at least a little bit about the significance of the Ides of March, and the events leading up, and following Julius Caesar's assassination. But unless you collect ancient coins, you're not likely to come across the story of Caesar's Comet. Part of this story can be found in my article Striking Ancient Skies in the March 2005 edition of Astronomy, and details on this and other astronomical coins can also be found at this site.
The Great Comet of 44 BC
Note: The obverse (front) is a portrait of Augustus, the reverse shows the 8-rayed comet and the inscription: DIVVS IVLIVS - or "divine Julius"
Until the last couple hundred years, comets have often been associated with dire and/or major events on Earth. Caesar's Comet of 44 BC certainly added greatly to this mystique. This great comet was first recorded by ancient astronomers/astrologers in both Rome and China in early may, 44 BC - only a couple short months after the "Ides of March". At the time it was brighter than the planet Jupiter ( est. ~ -3 magnitude, it was the brightest object in the night sky) to the lower left of the constellation of Orion, the mighty hunter. This bright visitor undoubtedly caused a major stir among the populace of the empire, but soon afterward the comet was lost due vast clouds of volcanic ash from huge eruptions of Mt. Etna in the island of Sicily. A bright comet and volcanic eruptions (!) following his assassination - yes, doom and gloom was upon the citizens of Rome.
But in China, the progress of the comet orbit monitored as it passed through Taurus and Perseus, slowly dimming with time. Meanwhile, Octavian (later known as Augustus Caesar) decided to throw an Olympic-like event in commemoration of his dead uncle known as Caesar's Funeral Games during the month of July. The comet, as if on cue - undergoes a dramatic flare-up in brightness (while in the constellation of Cassiopeia) on the opening day of the games.
Caesar's comet brightness surged nearly 10 magnitudes (1000 times!) - and becomes visible even during the daylight! The Roman propaganda machine got rolling and declared that this was taken as a omen that Caesar's spirit was now ascending into the heavens. The flare-up was visible during the entire run of the games only to dim after its completion, according to the historians of the time.
In 18 BC, another brilliant comet lit up the skies. Augustus, emperor of Rome since 31 BC wasn't one to miss a good propaganda opportunity. He declared that this was the return of Julius Caesar's spirit, and minted the famous comet coin in the image above. A series of silver denarii were produced and distributed across the length and breath of the Empire and are among the most sought after and famous of all ancient coins.
I actually own one, as a WINTERHOLIDAY$ gift from J, though mine isn't nearly as nice as the one I've posted. If you're interested in checking out a huge variety of ancient Roman and Greek coins - go to this site. Just pick a ruler or city/country and make sure you turn the thumbnails 'on'.
Very fascinating reading!