§2.1ἕβδομον ἐνιαυτὸν ἡ Ῥώμη καὶ τριακοστὸν ἤδη Ῥωμύλου βασιλεύοντος ᾠκεῖτο· πέμπτῃ δὲ ἱσταμένου μηνός, ἣν νῦν ἡμέραν νώνας Καπρατίνας καλοῦσι, θυσίαν τινὰ δημοτελῆ πρὸ τῆς πόλεως ὁ Ῥωμύλος ἔθυε περὶ τὸ καλούμενον Αἰγὸς ἕλος, καὶ παρῆν ἥ τε βουλὴ καὶ τοῦ δήμου τὸ πλεῖστον.
Rome had already been inhabited for thirty-seven years under the reign of Romulus; and on the fifth day of the beginning of the month, which day they now call the Capratine Nones, Romulus was offering a public sacrifice in front of the city near the place called the Goat’s Marsh, and the Senate and most of the people were present.
§2.2ἐξαίφνης δὲ μεγάλης περὶ τὸν ἀέρα τροπῆς γενομένης καὶ νέφους ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν ἐρείσαντος ἅμα πνεύματι καὶ ζάλῃ, τὸν μὲν ἄλλον ὅμιλον ἐκπλαγέντα συνέβη φυγεῖν καὶ σκεδασθῆναι, τὸν δὲ Ῥωμύλον ἀφανῆ γενέσθαι, καὶ μήτε αὐτὸν ἔτι μήτε σῶμα τεθνηκότος εὑρεθῆναι, χαλεπὴν δὲ τινʼ ὑπόνοιαν ἅψασθαι τῶν πατρικίων, καὶ ῥυῆναι λόγον ἐν τῷ δήμῳ κατʼ αὑτῶν ὡς πάλαι βαρυνόμενοι τὸ βασιλεύεσθαι καὶ μεταστῆσαι τὸ κράτος εἰς αὑτοὺς θέλοντες ἀνέλοιεν τὸν βασιλέα, καὶ γάρ ἐδόκει τραχύτερον ἤδη προσφέρεσθαι καὶ μοναρχικώτερον αὐτοῖς.
But suddenly, a great change occurred in the air, and a cloud settled upon the earth with wind and storm; and it happened that the rest of the crowd fled in terror and was scattered, but Romulus vanished, and neither he himself nor the body of him deceased was ever found, while a harsh suspicion attached to the patricians, and a rumor ran among the people against them, to the effect that, having long been burdened by being ruled and wishing to transfer the power to themselves, they had made away with the king, for indeed he already seemed to behave more harshly and more like a monarch toward them.
§2.3ἀλλὰ ταύτην μὲν τὴν ὑποψίαν ἐθεράπευον εἰς θεῶν τιμὰς ἀνάγοντες ὡς οὐ τεθνηκότα τὸν Ῥωμύλον, ἀλλὰ κρείττονος ὄντα μοίρας· καὶ Πρόκλος, ἀνὴρ ἐπιφανής, διωμόσατο Ῥωμύλον ἰδεῖν εἰς οὐρανὸν σὺν τοῖς ὅπλοις ἀναφερόμενον, καὶ φωνῆς ἀκοῦσαι κελεύοντος αὐτὸν ὀνομάζεσθαι Κυρῖνον.
But they tried to cure this suspicion by elevating Romulus to the honors of the gods, as if he had not died but had met with a better destiny; and Proculus, an illustrious man, swore on oath that he saw Romulus ascending to heaven with his armor on, and heard a voice commanding that he should be named Quirinus.
§2.4ἑτέρα δὲ ταραχὴ καὶ στάσις κατελάμβανε τὴν πόλιν ὑπὲρ τοῦ μέλλοντος ἀποδειχθήσεσθαι βασιλέως, οὔπω τῶν ἐπηλύδων κομιδῇ τοῖς πρώτοις συγκεκραμένων πολίταις, ἀλλʼ ἔτι τοῦ τε δήμου πολλὰ κυμαίνοντος ἐν ἑαυτῷ καὶ τῶν πατρικίων ἐν ὑποψίαις ἐκ τοῦ διαφόρου πρὸς ἀλλήλους ὄντων, οὐ μὴν ἀλλὰ βασιλεύεσθαι μὲν ἐδόκει πᾶσιν, ἤρισαν δὲ καὶ διέστησαν οὐχ ὑπὲρ ἀνδρὸς μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ γένους, ὁπότερον παρέξει τὸν ἡγεμόνα, καὶ γάρ οἱ μετὰ Ῥωμύλου·
But another disturbance and sedition seized the city concerning the king who was to be appointed, since the newcomers were not yet fully blended with the first citizens, but the people were still tossing violently in self-commotion, and the patricians were in suspicions of one another from their mutual differences; not but what it seemed good to all to be ruled by a king, yet they disputed and divided not only over the man, but also over the race, which of the two should provide the leader.
§2.5πρῶτοι συνοικίσαντες τὴν πόλιν οὐκ ἀνασχετὸν ἐποιοῦντο πόλεως καὶ χώρας τοὺς Σαβίνους μεταλαβόντας ἄρχειν βιάζεσθαι τῶν ἐπὶ ταῦτα δεξαμένων, καὶ τοῖς Σαβίνοις ἦν τις εὐγνώμων λόγος, ἐπεὶ Τατίου τοῦ βασιλέως αὑτῶν ἀποθανόντος οὐκ ἐστασίασαν πρὸς Ῥωμύλον, ἀλλʼ εἴασαν ἄρχειν μόνον, αὖθις ἀξιούντων τὸν ἄρχοντα γενέσθαι παρʼ αὑτῶν, οὔτε γάρ ἐκ ταπεινοτέρων κρείττοσι προσγενέσθαι, καὶ προσγενόμενοι πλήθει τε ῥῶσαι καὶ προαγαγεῖν εἰς ἀξίωμα πόλεως ἐκείνους μεθʼ ἑαυτῶν, ὑπὲρ μὲν οὖν τούτων ἐστασίαζον.
For those who with Romulus— having first co-founded the city, could not tolerate that the Sabines, after receiving a share of the city and territory, should force themselves to rule over those who had admitted them to these; and the Sabines had a certain reasonable argument, since on the death of their king Tatius they had not rebelled against Romulus but had allowed him to rule alone, and now they demanded that the ruler should again come from them, because they had not joined a superior power as inferiors, and by joining them they had strengthened them in numbers and advanced them, along with themselves, to the dignity of a city. Over these things, therefore, they were in sedition.
§2.6ὅπως δὲ μὴ σύγχυσιν ἐκ τῆς ἀναρχίας ἡ στάσις ἀπεργάσεται, μετεώρου τοῦ πολιτεύματος ὄντος, ἔταξαν οἱ πατρίκιοι, πεντήκοντα καὶ ἑκατὸν ὄντων αὑτῶν, ἕκαστον ἐν μέρει τοῖς βασιλικοῖς παρασήμοις κοσμούμενον θύειν τε τοῖς θεοῖς τὰ νενομισμένα καὶ χρηματίζειν ἓξ μὲν ὥρας τῆς νυκτός, ἓξ δὲ τῆς ἡμέρας.
And lest the sedition should produce confusion from anarchy, the constitution being in suspense, the patricians, being one hundred and fifty in number themselves, ordained that each in turn, adorned with the royal insignia, should sacrifice to the gods the customary offerings and transact business for six hours of the night and six of the day.
§2.7καὶ γὰρ ἡ διανομὴ τῶν καιρῶν ἑκατέρου πρὸς ἱσότητα καλῶς ἔχειν ἐδόκει τοῖς ἄρχουσι, καὶ πρὸς τὸν δῆμον ἡ μεταβολὴ τῆς ἐξουσίας ἀφαιρεῖν τὸν φθόνον, ὁρῶντα τῆς αὐτῆς ἡμέρας καὶ νυκτὸς τὸν αὐτὸν ἰδιώτην ἐκ βασιλέως γινόμενον.
For indeed this division of times seemed to be well for each of the rulers in respect to equality, and the change of authority was thought to remove envy from the people, when they saw the same person becoming a private citizen from a king within the same day and night.
τὸ δὲ σχῆμα τοῦτο τῆς ἀρχῆς μεσοβασιλείαν Ῥωμαῖοι καλοῦσιν.
This form of government the Romans call the interregnum.