History of Rome

​What the Romans performed from the founding of the city of Rome to the capture of the same city, first under kings, then under consuls, dictators, decemvirs, and consular tribunes, wars abroad and seditions at home, I have set forth in five books, ​matters obscure due to extreme antiquity, just like things which from a great distance of space are scarcely discerned, both because in those times written records were small and rare, the sole faithful guardian of the memory of deeds, and because, even if there were any records in the commentaries of the pontiffs and other public or private monuments, they mostly perished when the city was burned .

​Henceforth, clearer and more certain deeds performed at home and in war shall be set forth from the second origin of the city, which was reborn, as if from its roots, more lushly and fruitfully.

​For the rest, at first, leaning upon the same prop by which it had been raised up, with Marcus Furius as leader, the state stood; nor did they suffer him to abdicate his dictatorship until a full year had revolved.

​It was not resolved that the tribunes in whose magistracy the city had been captured should hold the elections for the following year; the administration returned to an interregnum.

​While the state was held in the constant work and labor of rebuilding the city, meanwhile, as soon as Quintus Fabius retired from office, a day of trial was appointed for him by Gnaeus Marcius, tribune of the plebs, because as an envoy to the Gauls, to whom he had been sent as a negotiator, he had fought against the law of nations;

​from this trial, a death so opportune that a great part believed it voluntary rescued him. An interregnum was entered upon;

​Publius Cornelius Scipio was interrex, and after him Marcus Furius Camillus. The latter elected as military tribunes with consular power Lucius Valerius Publicola for the second time, Lucius Verginius, Publius Cornelius, Aulus Manlius, Lucius Aemilius, and Lucius Postumius.

​When these had immediately entered upon office from the interregnum, they consulted the senate on no matter prior to that of religious affairs.

​First of all, they ordered that treaties and laws—and these were the Twelve Tables and certain royal laws—should be searched out, such as were still extant. Some of these were published even to the common people; but those which pertained to sacred rites were suppressed, chiefly by the pontiffs, so that they might keep the minds of the multitude bound by religious obligation.

​Then they began to debate concerning religious days, and the fifteenth day before the Kalends of Sextilis (July 18th), distinguished by a double disaster—on which day the Fabii were slaughtered at the Cremera, and on which later at the Allia a shameful battle was fought with the destruction of the city—they named the Day of the Allia from the latter disaster, and made it distinguished by a religious prohibition against transacting any business, publicly or privately.

​Some think that because on the day after the Ides of Quinctilis (July 16th) Sulpicius, the military tribune, had not offered an acceptable sacrifice, and the Roman army, without the peace of the gods having been found, was opposed to the enemy three days later, it was ordered that even on the day after the Ides religious rites should be suspended; thence they believe the tradition was handed down that the same religious prohibition should apply also to the day after the Kalends and the Nones.