The Ides of March, 44 BC

[strange_complex]

2050 years ago today, folks.

Comments

[rich_r]

Ooh - something I'm reasonably confident I do know about Roman history. That and being an Iron Maiden fan, I read up on the Ides of March some time ago :)

[swisstone]

I was hoping you'd do something to mark the occasion.

Also, tricky poll that you almost tripped me up on!

[strange_complex]

Yay icon! I'm afraid I don't have a Julie, but I'm more and more feeling the need for a Cicero. I think he'll be my next icon, when I'm given another space.

People are doing pretty well on the poll so far, actually. I don't really mind whether they spot the full range of right answers (she says, cryptically!), but as you doubtless well know, there is one wrong answer to this question which crops up regularly in first-year essays and really makes me want to tear my hair out!

[rich_r]

I think I avoided the wrong one, but am now having doubts that maybe another one might be right as well as the one I chose. But I'm not sure he could hold both titles at the same time as I'm not really sure what one of them means.

[strange_complex]

I would stick to your guns. With reference to my comment above, you've successfully avoided the pitfall, and picked out the most important right answer. I'll explain what the remaining titles mean later on, when people have finished answering.

[sir_didymus]

I'm starting to wonder if I should have chosen two answers instead of one.

[strange_complex]

There are two correct answers on the list. But I wouldn't expect most people to get both of them - you'd have to have studied Ancient History formally to know about the second one. The important thing is that you got the main one right - and didn't make the mistake many of my first-years make!

[megamole]

Ooo, I have a chance of being right.

[sir_didymus]

Today's also the 90th anniversary of Nicholas II of Russia abdicating the throne.

[maviscruet]

I was confident but now I'm not....

I suspect I fell for a trap.

[strange_complex]

As I said to rich_r above, do not worry! You haven't fallen for a trap at all. It's more like you have scored an A, but not quite an A* - and I would honestly expect very few people to make the A*. I will explain the full picture later.

[steer]

Not a clue... um... but it is true that he had a roman nose like in the comics right?

[strange_complex]

Well, it was as Roman as the rest of him!

But in the terms you mean, I'd say he pretty much did, to judge from his coins.