§25.12.1Romae consules praetoresque usque ad ante diem quintum kal. §25.12.2Maias Latinae tenuerunt.
At Rome, the consuls and praetors were detained by the Latin festival until the fifth day before the Kalends of May.
eo die perpetrato sacro in monte in suas quisque provincias proficiscuntur.
On that day, the sacred rite having been completed on the mount, each departed to his own province.
religio deinde nova obiecta est ex carminibus Marcianis.
Then a new religious concern was brought forward from the Marcian verses.
§25.12.3vates hic Marcius inlustris fuerat, et cum conquisitio priore anno ex senatus consulto talium librorum fieret, in M. Aemili praetoris urbani, qui eam rem agebat, manus venerant.
This Marcius had been an illustrious seer, and when a search for such books was being made in the previous year by a decree of the senate, they had come into the hands of the urban praetor Marcus Aemilius, who was managing that matter.
§25.12.4is protinus novo praetori Sullae tradiderat.
He had immediately handed them over to the new praetor Sulla.
ex huius Marcii duobus carminibus alterius post rem factam editi comprobata auctoritas eventu alteri quoque, cuius nondum tempus venerat, adferebat fidem.
Of the two verses of this Marcius, the authority of the one published after the event, being confirmed by the issue, brought credibility to the other also, whose time had not yet come.
§25.12.5priore carmine Cannensis praedicta clades in haec fere verba erat: “amnem, Troiugena, fuge Cannam, ne te alienigenae cogant in campo Diomedis conserere manus.
In the former verse, the disaster of Cannae was predicted in almost these words: "Flee the river Cannae, O child of Troy, lest foreigners force you to join battle on the plain of Diomedes.
§25.12.6sed neque credes tu mihi, donec compleris sanguine campum, multaque milia occisa tua deferet amnis in pontum magnum ex terra frugifera; piscibus atque avibus ferisque, quae incolunt terras, is fuat esca caro tua.
But you will not believe me until you have filled the plain with blood, and the river shall carry many thousands of your slain into the great sea from the fruitful land; let your flesh become food for the fishes, birds, and wild beasts that inhabit the lands.
nam mihi ita Iuppiter fatus est. ” §25.12.7et Diomedis Argivi campos et Cannam flumen ii, qui militaverant in iis locis, iuxta atque ipsam cladem agnoscebant.
For so Jupiter spoke to me." Those who had served in those places recognized both the plains of Argive Diomedes and the river Cannae, and the disaster itself.
§25.12.8tum alterum carmen recitatum, non eo tantum obscurius, quia incertiora futura praeteritis sunt, sed perplexius etiam scripturae genere.
Then the second verse was read aloud, which was more obscure not only because future events are more uncertain than past ones, but also more perplexing because of its style of writing.
§25.12.9“hostis, Romani, si expellere vultis, vomica quae gentium venit longe, Apollini vovendos censeo ludos, qui quotannis comiter Apollini fiant, cum populus dederit ex publico partem, partem privati uti conferant pro se atque suis.
"If you wish, O Romans, to expel the enemy, the plague that comes from afar of nations, I advise that games be vowed to Apollo, which should be celebrated cheerfully every year to Apollo, when the people have given a part from the public treasury, and private citizens contribute a part for themselves and their families.
§25.12.10is ludis faciendis praeerit praetor is, qui ius populo plebeique dabit summum.
The praetor who administers supreme justice to the people and plebs shall preside over the celebration of these games.
decemviri Graeco ritu hostiis sacra faciant.
Let the decemviri perform the sacred rites with Greek ritual and with victims.
hoc si recte facietis, gaudebitis semper fietque res vestra melior; nam is divus extinguet perduellis vestros, qui vestros campos pascit placide. ” §25.12.11ad id carmen explanandum diem unum sumpserunt.
If you do this rightly, you will always rejoice, and your state will become better; for that god who peacefully feeds your plains will destroy your enemies." To explain that verse they took one day.
postero die senatus consultum factum est, ut decemviri de ludis Apollini reque divina facienda inspicerent.
On the following day, a decree of the senate was made that the decemviri should inspect concerning the games to Apollo and the performance of the sacred rite.
§25.12.12ea cum inspecta relataque ad senatum essent, censuerunt patres Apollini ludos vovendos faciendosque et, quando ludi facti essent, duodecim milia aeris praetori ad rem divinam et duas hostias maiores dandas.
When these things had been inspected and reported to the senate, the fathers decreed that games should be vowed and celebrated to Apollo, and that when the games were celebrated, twelve thousand pieces of bronze money should be given to the praetor for the sacred rite, along with two larger victims.
§25.12.13alterum senatus consultum factum est, ut decemviri sacrum Graeco ritu facerent hisque hostiis, Apollini bove aurato et capris duabus albis auratis, Latonae bove femina aurata.
Another decree of the senate was made, that the decemviri should perform the sacrifice with Greek ritual, and with these victims: for Apollo a gilded bull and two white gilded female goats, for Latona a gilded cow.
§25.12.14ludos praetor in circo maximo cum facturus esset, edixit, ut populus per eos ludos stipem Apollini, quantam commodum esset, conferret.
When the praetor was about to celebrate the games in the Circus Maximus, he proclaimed that the people during those games should contribute a gift to Apollo, as much as was convenient.
§25.12.15haec est origo ludorum Apollinarium victoriae, non valetudinis ergo, ut plerique rentur, votorum factorumque.
This is the origin of the Apollinarian games, vowed and celebrated for the sake of victory, and not for health, as most people think.
populus coronatus spectavit, matronae supplicavere; vulgo apertis ianuis in propatulis epulati sunt, celeberque dies omni caerimoniarum genere fuit.
The people watched wearing crowns, the matrons made supplications; everyone feasted with open doors in the forecourts, and the day was celebrated with every kind of ceremonial.