罗马广场上的罗马萨图尔诺农神庙，罗马，意大利 The Temple of Saturn in the Roman Forum, Rome, Italy (© Nico De Pasquale Photography/Getty Images)

罗马广场上的罗马萨图尔诺农神庙，罗马，意大利 The Temple of Saturn in the Roman Forum, Rome, Italy (© Nico De Pasquale Photography/Getty Images)

“朋友们，罗马人，同胞们…” Friends, Romans, countrymen

罗马萨图尔诺农神庙，意大利

正如莎士比亚在其戏剧《尤利乌斯·凯撒》中所写：“朋友们，罗马人，同胞们，请听我说。”今天是三月十五日，一个深深烙印在罗马历史与传统中的日子。在罗马历法中，“十五日”指的是每月的中旬，通常标志着满月。这一天曾是庆祝节日和公共集会的日子。然而，在公元前 44 年，三月十五日成为政治动荡与背叛的代名词，并引发了罗马共和国覆灭的关键事件。在那个决定性的日子，罗马独裁者凯撒遭到一群元老院成员的刺杀。其中甚至包括他的亲密盟友布鲁图斯。这些密谋者自认为是在拯救共和国，阻止凯撒权力日益膨胀。凯撒在庞贝剧院附近遇刺，这一历史性时刻的影响却回荡在罗马广场，这里曾是罗马政治与社会生活的中心。

如今，漫步在意大利的罗马广场，仍能看到历史的遗迹和曾经辉煌的帝国废墟。其中最重要的遗址之一便是土星神庙，正如今日图片所示。这座罗马广场中最古老、最受尊敬的建筑之一，曾守护着罗马的国库，是凯撒刺客们声称要保护的共和国象征。

Ides of March

As Shakespeare wrote in his play 'Julius Caesar,' 'Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears.' Today is the Ides of March, a day steeped in Roman history and tradition. The term 'Ides' referred to the midpoint of the month in the Roman calendar, often marking the full moon. It was a time of celebration, with festivals and public gatherings. However, in 44 BCE, the Ides of March became synonymous with political upheaval, betrayal, and an event that would trigger the fall of the Roman Republic. On that fateful day, Julius Caesar, Rome's powerful dictator, was assassinated by a group of senators. The conspirators, including his close ally Brutus, believed they were saving the Republic from Caesar's growing authority. Caesar was attacked near the Theater of Pompey, but the tension of that moment echoed through the Roman Forum—the beating heart of Rome's political and social life.

Strolling through the Forum, in present-day Italy, you can now see the remnants of history and the ruins of a once-mighty empire. Among its many treasures is the Temple of Saturn, pictured here. One of the Forum's oldest and most revered structures, it once guarded the Roman treasury, a stark symbol of the Republic Caesar's assassins claimed to protect.