§1.88.1ἐπεὶ δὲ οὐδὲν ἔτι ἦν ἐμποδῶν τῷ κτίσματι προειπὼν ὁ Ῥωμύλος ἡμέραν, ἐν ᾗ τοὺς θεοὺς ἀρεσάμενος ἔμελλε τὴν ἀρχὴν τῶν ἔργων ποιήσασθαι, παρασκευασάμενός τε ὅσα εἰς θυσίας καὶ ὑποδοχὰς τοῦ λεὼ χρησίμως ἕξειν ἔμελλεν, ὡς ἧκεν ὁ συγκείμενος χρόνος αὐτός τε προθύσας τοῖς θεοῖς καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους κελεύσας κατὰ δύναμιν τὸ αὐτὸ δρᾶν ὄρνιθας μὲν πρῶτον αἰσίους λαμβάνει·
And when there was nothing more in the way of the founding, Romulus, having beforehand announced the day on which, having propitiated the gods, he was to make the beginning of the works, and having prepared all things that were to be useful for the sacrifices and the reception of the people, when the appointed time came, having himself first sacrificed to the gods and having ordered the others to do the same according to their ability, first obtained auspicious birds.
μετὰ δὲ τοῦτο πυρκαϊὰς πρὸ τῶν σκηνῶν γενέσθαι κελεύσας ἐξάγει τὸν λεὼν τὰς φλόγας ὑπερθρώσκοντα τῆς ὁσιώσεως τῶν μιασμάτων ἕνεκα.
After this, having ordered bonfires to be made in front of the tents, he led the people out to leap over the flames for the sake of the purification of defilements.
ἐπεὶ δὲ πᾶν, ὅσον ἦν ἐκ λογισμοῦ §1.88.2θεοῖς φίλον, ᾤετο πεπρᾶχθαι καλέσας ἅπαντας εἰς τὸν ἀποδειχθέντα τόπον περιγράφει τετράγωνον σχῆμα τῷ λόφῳ, βοὸς ἄρρενος ἅμα θηλείᾳ ζευχθέντος ὑπʼ ἄροτρον ἑλκύσας αὔλακα διηνεκῆ τὴν μέλλουσαν ὑποδέξεσθαι τὸ τεῖχος· ἐξ οὗ Ῥωμαίοις τὸ ἔθος τοῦτο τῆς περιαρόσεως τῶν χωρίων ἐν οἰκισμοῖς πόλεων παραμένει.
And when he thought that everything which, by rational calculation, was pleasing to the gods, had been performed, having called everyone to the designated place, he traced a quadrangular shape on the hill, drawing a continuous furrow, which was to receive the wall, with a bull and a cow yoked together under a plow; from which this custom of plowing around the sites in the founding of cities remains among the Romans.
ἐργασάμενος δὲ ταῦτα καὶ τῶν βοῶν ἑκατέρους ἱερεύσας ἄλλων τε πολλῶν θυμάτων καταρξάμενος ἐφίστησι τοῖς ἔργοις τὸν λεών.
And having performed these things and having sacrificed each of the oxen, and having begun many other sacrifices, he set the people to the works.
ταύτην ἔτι καὶ §1.88.3εἰς ἐμὲ τὴν ἡμέραν Ῥωμαίων ἡ πόλις ἑορτῶν οὐδεμιᾶς ἥττονα τιθεμένη καθʼ ἕκαστον ἔτος ἄγει, καλοῦσι δὲ Παρίλια.
This day even down to my time, the city of the Romans, keeping it second to none of the festivals, celebrates every year, and they call it Parilia.
θύουσι δʼ ἐν αὐτῇ περὶ γονῆς τετραπόδων οἱ γεωργοὶ καὶ νομεῖς θυσίαν χαριστήριον ἔαρος ἀρχομένου.
And on it the husbandmen and shepherds offer a thanksgiving sacrifice at the beginning of spring for the breeding of four-footed beasts.
πότερον δὲ παλαίτερον ἔτι τὴν ἡμέραν ταύτην ἐν εὐπαθείαις διάγοντες ἐπιτηδειοτάτην οἰκισμῷ πόλεως ἐνόμισαν, ἢ τοῦ κτίσματος ἄρξασαν ἱερὰν ἐποιήσαντο καὶ θεοὺς ἐν αὐτῇ τοὺς ποιμέσι φίλους γεραίρειν ᾤοντο δεῖν οὐκ ἔχω βεβαίως εἰπεῖν.
But whether they, spending this day in festivity from an even earlier time, deemed it most suitable for the founding of a city, or whether, because it began the founding, they made it sacred and thought they ought to honor on it the gods friendly to shepherds, I cannot say for certain.