How the Romans fixed the year

Sed ut hos annos omittam caligine iam profundae vetustatis obductos, in his quoque, qui sunt recentioris memoriae et ad cursum lunae vel solis instituti, quanta sit varietas facile est cognoscere, si quis vel in unius Italiae gentibus, ne dicam peregrinis, velit inquirere. nam ut alium Ferentini alium Lavinii itemque Albani vel Romani habuerunt annum, ita et aliae gentes. omnibus tamen fuit propositum suos civiles annos varie intercalandis mensibus ad unum illum verum naturalemque corrigere.

But to pass over these years, already covered by the darkness of deep antiquity, even in those which are of more recent memory and set up by the course of the moon or the sun, it is easy to learn how great the variety is, if anyone is willing to inquire even among the peoples of Italy alone, not to say foreign ones. For as the Ferentines had one year, the Lavinians another, and likewise the Albans or the Romans, so too other peoples. Yet all had the aim of correcting their civil years, by intercalating months in various ways, to that one true and natural [year].

But let me pass over these years [of the earliest peoples], already lost in the darkness of the distant past. Even among the years of more recent memory, set by the course of the moon or the sun, it is easy to see how much variety there is. One only has to look at the peoples of Italy alone, to say nothing of foreign ones. The people of Ferentinum had one year, those of Lavinium another, the Albans and the Romans others again, and so did other peoples.1 But all of them aimed to correct their civil years to match the one true, natural year, by inserting extra months in different ways.2

1. Towns of central Italy. In the legend Livy tells, Aeneas founded Lavinium, his son founded Alba Longa, and Romulus, born of the Alban kings, founded Rome (History of Rome, book 1).
2. The civil year is the calendar a city keeps; the natural year is the sun's course. Inserting days or a month from time to time (intercalation) kept the two in step (Smith's Dictionary).

de quibus omnibus disserere quoniam longum est, ad Romanorum annum transibimus. Annum vertentem Romae Licinius quidem Macer et postea Fenestella statim ab initio duodecim mensum fuisse scripserunt: sed magis Iunio Gracchano et Fulvio et Varroni et Suetonio aliisque credendum, qui decem mensum putarunt fuisse, ut tunc Albanis erat, unde orti Romani.

Since it is long to discuss all of these, we shall pass to the year of the Romans. Licinius Macer, and afterward Fenestella, wrote that the turning year at Rome was of twelve months right from the beginning: but Junius Gracchanus and Fulvius and Varro and Suetonius and others are rather to be believed, who thought it was of ten months, as it then was for the Albans, from whom the Romans sprang.

It would take too long to discuss all of these, so I will move on to the year of the Romans. Licinius Macer, and later Fenestella, wrote that the year at Rome had twelve months from the very beginning.3 But we should rather believe Junius Gracchanus, Fulvius, Varro, Suetonius and others, who thought it had ten months. So it was at that time among the Albans, from whom the Romans came.

3. Roman writers on history and antiquities: Fulvius Nobilior, consul in 189 BCE, published a calendar; Junius Gracchanus, a partisan of the Gracchi, wrote on public offices; Licinius Macer and Fenestella were historians (Teuffel).

hi decem menses dies CCCIIII hoc modo habebant: Martius XXXI, Aprilis XXX, Maius XXXI, Iunius XXX, Quintilis XXXI, Sextilis et September tricenos, October XXXI, November et December XXX; quorum quattuor maiores pleni, ceteri sex cavi vocabantur.

These ten months had 304 days in this way: March 31, April 30, May 31, June 30, Quintilis 31, Sextilis and September 30 each, October 31, November and December 30; of which the four larger were called full, the other six hollow.

These ten months had 304 days, like this: March 31, April 30, May 31, June 30, Quintilis 31, Sextilis and September 30 each, October 31, and November and December 30. The four longer months were called "full," and the other six "hollow."4

4. Quintilis and Sextilis mean "fifth" and "sixth"; they were later renamed July and August. The full months had 31 days and the hollow ones 30 (Smith's Dictionary).

postea sive a Numa, ut ait Fulvius, sive, ut Iunius, a Tarquinio XII facti sunt menses et dies CCCLV, quamvis luna XII suis mensibus CCCLIIII dies videbatur explere. sed ut dies unus abundaret, aut per inprudentiam accidit, aut, quod magis credo, ea superstitione qua inpar numerus plenus et magis faustus habebatur.

Afterward, either by Numa, as Fulvius says, or, as Junius [says], by Tarquin, twelve months were made and 355 days, although the moon seemed to complete 354 days in its twelve months. But that one day was in excess either happened through lack of foresight, or, which I rather believe, by that superstition by which an odd number was held to be full and more lucky.

Later there came to be twelve months and 355 days. Fulvius says that Numa did this, and Junius that Tarquin did.5 Yet the moon seemed to complete its twelve months in 354 days. The one extra day was either a mistake or, as I rather believe, came from the superstition that held an odd number to be full and luckier.6

5. By tradition Numa was the second king of Rome, and two later kings were named Tarquin (Livy, History of Rome, book 1). Macrobius credits the twelve-month year to Numa alone.
6. Odd numbers were widely held to be luckier. Smith's Dictionary cites Virgil, "the god delights in an odd number," and Pliny.

certe ad annum priorem unus et quinquaginta dies accesserunt: qui quia menses duo non explerent, sex illis cavis mensibus dies sunt singuli detracti et ad eos additi, factique dies LVII, et ex his duo menses, Ianuarius undetriginta dierum, Februarius duodetriginta. adque ita omnes menses pleni et inpari dierum numero esse coeperunt, excepto Februario, qui solus cavus et ob hoc ceteris infaustior est habitus.

Certainly fifty-one days were added to the former year: and because these would not fill two months, one day each was taken from those six hollow months and added to them, and 57 days were made, and from these two months, January of twenty-nine days, February of twenty-eight. And so all the months began to be full and of an odd number of days, except February, which alone was hollow and because of this was held more unlucky than the rest.

In any case, 51 days were added to the old year. These were not enough to fill two months, so one day was taken from each of the six hollow months and added to them. That made 57 days, and from these came two months, January with 29 days and February with 28. So all the months came to be full, with an odd number of days, except February. It alone was hollow, and so it was thought less lucky than the rest.7

7. Macrobius tells it differently: Numa added 50 days, for a year of 354, and later one more day in honor of the odd number. Both accounts end with 355 days, 29 in January and 28 in February.

denique cum intercalarium mensem viginti duum vel viginti trium dierum alternis annis addi placuisset, ut civilis annus ad naturalem exaequaretur, in mense potissimum Februario inter terminalia et regifugium intercalatum est, idque diu factum prius quam sentiretur annos civiles aliquanto naturalibus esse maiores, quod delictum ut corrigeretur, pontificibus datum negotium eorumque arbitrio intercalandi ratio permissa.

Then, when it had been decided that an intercalary month of twenty-two or twenty-three days be added in alternate years, so that the civil year might be made equal to the natural, it was intercalated chiefly in the month of February, between the Terminalia and the Regifugium; and this was done for a long time before it was noticed that the civil years were somewhat greater than the natural ones; to correct this fault, the business was given to the pontiffs, and the method of intercalating was left to their judgment.

Next it was decided to add an extra month of 22 or 23 days every other year, so that the civil year would equal the natural one. It was usually inserted in February, between the Terminalia and the Regifugium.8 This went on for a long time before anyone noticed that the civil years were somewhat longer than the natural ones. To correct this fault, the task was given to the pontiffs, and the method of inserting months was left to their judgment.9

8. February festivals: the Terminalia, for the god of boundaries, on February 23, and the Regifugium, "the flight of the king," on February 24 (Fowler).
9. The pontiffs were Rome's most important college of priests; their head was the pontifex maximus, the chief pontiff (Smith's Dictionary).

sed horum plerique ob odium vel gratiam, quo quis magistratu citius abiret diutiusve fungeretur aut publici redemtor ex anni magnitudine in lucro damnove esset, plus minusve ex libidine intercalando rem sibi ad corrigendum mandatam ultro quod depravarunt,

But most of these, out of hatred or favor, so that someone would leave office sooner or serve longer, or a contractor of the public [revenues] would be in profit or loss from the size of the year, by intercalating more or less at their whim, of their own accord spoiled the thing entrusted to them for correcting; because [of this],

But most of them, out of hatred or favor, inserted more days or fewer as they pleased. They wanted one official to leave office sooner, or another to serve longer, or a contractor for the public revenues to gain or lose by the length of the year.10 So they actually spoiled the very thing they had been given to correct.

10. Officials served for one year. The state leased the collection of its revenues to private contractors, so a longer or shorter year could bring them profit or loss (Smith's Dictionary).

adeo aberratum est ut G. Caesar pontifex maximus suo III et M. Aemilii Lepidi consulatu, quo retro delictum corrigeret, duos menses intercalarios dierum LXVII in mensem Novembrem et Decembrem interponeret, cum iam mense Februario dies III et XX intercalasset, faceretque eum annum dierum CCCCXLV, simul providens in futurum ne iterum erraretur: nam intercalario mense sublato annum civilem ad solis cursum formavit.

it went so far astray that Gaius Caesar, chief pontiff, in his third consulship and that of Marcus Aemilius Lepidus, in order to correct the past fault, put two intercalary months of 67 days between the month of November and December, when he had already intercalated 23 days in the month of February, and made that year of 445 days, at the same time providing for the future that there should be no error again: for, the intercalary month being removed, he shaped the civil year to the course of the sun.

Things went so far wrong that Gaius Caesar, as chief pontiff, set out to correct the past error. In the year when he was consul for the third time, with Marcus Aemilius Lepidus,11 he put two extra months, of 67 days in all, between November and December. He had already inserted 23 days in February, and so he made that year 445 days long.12 At the same time he made sure the error would not happen again. He did away with the extra month and shaped the civil year to the course of the sun.

11. The year 46 BCE. Suetonius also reports the two months inserted between November and December (Julius 40).
12. The manuscripts give the two months 64 days. Editors print 67, as Hultsch does, so that 355, 23 and 67 make the 445 days of the text; Smith's Dictionary (1865) already gives 67. Macrobius makes this last year of confusion 443 days.

itaque diebus CCCLV addidit decem, quos per septem menses, qui dies undetricenos habebant, ita discriberet, ut Ianuario et Sextili et Decembri bini accederent, ceteris singuli; eosque dies extremis partibus mensium adposuit, ne scilicet religiones sui cuiusque mensis a loco summoverentur.

And so to the 355 days he added ten, which he distributed through the seven months that had twenty-nine days, so that two each came to January and Sextilis and December, one each to the rest; and he placed these days in the last parts of the months, so that, of course, the religious rites of each month would not be moved from their place.

So he added ten days to the 355. He shared them out among the seven months that had 29 days: two each went to January, Sextilis and December, and one each to the others. He put these days at the ends of the months, so that the religious festivals of each month would not be moved from their places.

quapropter nunc cum in septem mensibus dies singuli et triceni sint, quattuor tamen illi ita primitus instituti eo dinoscuntur quod nonas habent septimanas, ceteri tres quintanas. praeterea pro quadrante diei, qui annum verum suppleturus videbatur, instituit ut peracto quadrienni circuitu dies unus, ubi mensis quondam solebat, post terminalia intercalaretur, quod nunc bissextum vocatur.

Therefore now, although in seven months there are thirty-one days, yet those four first set up that way are distinguished by this, that they have the Nones on the seventh, the other three on the fifth. Besides, for the quarter of a day which seemed about to complete the true year, he established that, when a circuit of four years was finished, one day should be intercalated, where the month once used to be, after the Terminalia, which is now called the bissextum.

So today seven months have 31 days. But the four that had 31 days from the start can still be told apart. Their Nones fall on the seventh day, while the other three have them on the fifth.13 Then there was the quarter of a day that seemed to be needed to complete the true year. For this he ruled that, at the end of each four-year cycle, one day should be inserted after the Terminalia, where the extra month used to go. This day is now called the bissextum.14

13. Each Roman month had three named days, the Kalends (the first), the Nones (the fifth or seventh) and the Ides; the other days were counted back from these (Smith's Dictionary).
14. "Twice sixth": in a leap year the sixth day before the Kalends of March was counted twice (Smith's Dictionary). Censorinus does not mention what Macrobius reports, that the priests misread the rule and Augustus had to correct it.

ex hoc anno ita a Iulio Caesare ordinato ceteri ad nostram memoriam Iuliani appellantur, eique consurgunt ex quarto Caesaris consulatu. qui etiam si optimo , non soli tamen ad annum naturae aptati sunt: nam et priores anni, etiam si qui decemmenstres fuerunt, nec Romae modo vel per Italiam, sed et aput gentes omnes, quantum poterat, idem fuerunt correcti.

From this year so ordered by Julius Caesar the rest, down to our memory, are called Julian, and they rise from Caesar's fourth consulship. Although these [are] best , yet they alone have not been fitted to the year of nature: for the earlier years too, even if some were of ten months, not only at Rome or throughout Italy but also among all peoples, were likewise corrected, as far as was possible.

The years since then, down to our own time, are called Julian after this year that Julius Caesar set in order. They are counted from Caesar's fourth consulship.15 Even if these are the best [words are lost here], they are not the only years fitted to the year of nature. The earlier years too, even those of ten months, were corrected in the same way as far as possible, not only at Rome or in Italy but among all peoples.

15. The year 45 BCE, the first year of the new calendar (Smith's Dictionary). Hultsch marks a gap in the manuscripts after the word "best."

itaque cum de aliquo annorum numero hic dicetur, non alios par erit quam naturales accipere.

Therefore, when anything is said here about some number of years, it will be proper to understand no others than natural ones.

So whenever I speak here of a number of years, they should be taken as natural years.

secundum quam rationem nisi fallor hic annus, cuius velut index et titulus quidam est V. C. Pii et Pontiani consulatus, ab olympiade prima millensimus est et quartus decimus, ex diebus dumtaxat aestivis, quibus agon Olympicus celebratur; a Roma autem condita nongentensimus nonagensimus primus, et quidem ex Parilibus, unde urbis anni numerantur;

According to this reckoning, unless I am mistaken, this year, whose index and, as it were, title is the consulship of the most distinguished men Pius and Pontianus, is the thousand and fourteenth from the first Olympiad, [counting] at least from the summer days in which the Olympic contest is celebrated; and from Rome founded, the nine hundred ninety-first, and indeed from the Parilia, from which the years of the city are counted;

By this reckoning [of Varro's], unless I am mistaken, the present year is the 1,014th since the first Olympiad. This year is marked and named, as it were, by the consulship of those most distinguished men, Pius and Pontianus.16 Its Olympic count starts from the summer days when the Olympic games are held. It is the 991st year since Rome was founded, counting from the Parilia, the festival from which the city's years are counted.17

16. The consuls of 238 CE, the year Censorinus wrote (Teuffel). The Olympiads, the four-year periods between the games at Olympia, were counted from 776 BCE (Smith's Dictionary).
17. The Parilia, on April 21, was kept as the birthday of Rome (Fowler).

eorum vero annorum quibus Iulianis nomen est ducentesimus octogensimus tertius, sed ex die Kal. Ianuariarum, unde Iulius Caesar anni a se constituti fecit principium;

but of those years which have the name Julian, the two hundred eighty-third, but from the day of the Kalends of January, from which Julius Caesar made the beginning of the year established by him;

Of the years called Julian, it is the 283rd, counting from January 1, the day Julius Caesar made the start of the year he set up.

idcirco aliis a novo sole, id est a bruma, aliis ab aestivo solstitio, plerisque ab aequinoctio verno, partim ab autumnali aequinoctio, quibusdam ab ortu vergiliarum, nonnullis ab earum occasu, multis a canis exortu incipere annus naturalis videtur.

For that reason the natural year seems to begin, to some from the new sun, that is, from the winter solstice, to others from the summer solstice, to most from the spring equinox, to some from the autumn equinox, to certain ones from the rising of the Vergiliae, to some from their setting, to many from the rising of the Dog.

So the natural year seems to some to begin with the new sun, that is, at the winter solstice, and to others at the summer solstice. Most think it begins at the spring equinox, and some at the autumn equinox. Some date it from the rising of the Pleiades, others from their setting,18 and many from the rising of the Dog Star.

18. The Pleiades, a group of seven stars, rise at the end of spring (Lewis and Short). The new sun is the winter solstice, bruma, the shortest day of the year.

Mensium genera duo: nam alii sunt naturales, alii civiles.

Of months [there are] two kinds: for some are natural, others civil.

There are two kinds of months: some are natural and others civil.

naturalium species duae, quod partim solis partim lunae esse dicuntur. secundum solem fit mensis, dum sol unum quodque in zodiaco orbe signum percurrit; lunaris est autem temporis quoddam spatium a nova luna.

Of the natural [there are] two types, because some are said to be of the sun, some of the moon. According to the sun a month is made while the sun runs through each sign in the circle of the zodiac; but the lunar [month] is a certain space of time from a new moon.

The natural months are of two types, for some are said to belong to the sun and some to the moon. A month of the sun is the time the sun takes to pass through one sign of the zodiac. A month of the moon is a span of time from a new moon [to the next].

civiles menses sunt numeri quidam dierum quos una quaeque civitas suo instituto observat, ut nunc Romani a kalendis in kalendas. naturales et antiquiores et omnium gentium communes sunt, civiles et posterius instituti et ad unam quamque pertinent civitatem.

Civil months are certain numbers of days which each city observes by its own institution, as now the Romans from Kalends to Kalends. The natural are both older and common to all peoples; the civil both were established later and belong to each single city.

Civil months are set numbers of days that each city keeps by its own custom, as the Romans now count from one Kalends to the next. The natural months are older and shared by all peoples. The civil ones were set up later, and each belongs to a single city.

luna autem singulos suos menses conficit diebus undetriginta circiter et dimidiato, sed et hos inter se dispares, alias longiores, alias breviores. at civitatium menses vel magis numero dierum inter se discrepant, sed dies ubique habent totos.

But the moon completes each of its months in about twenty-nine days and a half, but these too unequal among themselves, some longer, some shorter. But the months of cities differ among themselves even more in the number of days, but everywhere they have whole days.

The moon completes each of its months in about 29 and a half days, but these too differ, some longer and some shorter. The months of cities differ from one another even more in their number of days, but everywhere they are made of whole days.

apud Albanos Martius est sex et triginta, Maius viginti duum, Sextilis duodeviginti, September sedecim: Tusculanorum Quintilis dies habet XXXVI, October XXXII, idem October apud Aricinos XXXVIIII.

Among the Albans March is thirty-six, May twenty-two, Sextilis eighteen, September sixteen; Quintilis of the Tusculans has 36 days, October 32; the same October among the Aricians 39.

Among the Albans, March has 36 days, May 22, Sextilis 18 and September 16. At Tusculum, Quintilis has 36 days and October 32, and at Aricia October has 39.19

19. In Smith's Dictionary these are the calendars of Alba, Tusculum and Aricia as they stood when Censorinus wrote.

minime videntur errasse qui ad lunae cursum menses civiles adcommodarunt, ut in Graecia plerique, apud quos alterni menses ad tricenos dies sunt facti.

Those seem to have erred least who fitted the civil months to the course of the moon, as most in Greece, among whom alternate months have been made of thirty days.

Those who fitted their civil months to the course of the moon seem to have gone least wrong. Most cities in Greece did this, and there every other month was made 30 days long.

maiores quoque nostri idem sunt aemulati, cum annum dierum CCCLV haberent. sed Divus Iulius cum videret hac ratione neque ad lunam menses, ut oportebat, neque annos ad solem convenire, maluit annum corrigere, ut sic etiam menses civiles cum veris illis solaribus, etsi non singuli, tamen universi ad anni finem necessario concurrerent.

Our ancestors also imitated the same, when they had a year of 355 days. But the Deified Julius, when he saw that by this system neither the months agreed with the moon, as was proper, nor the years with the sun, preferred to correct the year, so that in this way the civil months too, with those true solar ones, even if not one by one, yet all together, would necessarily meet at the end of the year.

Our ancestors copied them when they had a year of 355 days. But the Deified Julius saw that under this system the months did not match the moon, as they should, and the years did not match the sun.20 He chose to correct the year. In this way the civil months would match the true months of the sun, if not one by one, then necessarily all together by the end of the year.

20. After his death Caesar was ranked among the gods (Suetonius, Julius 88), so later writers call him "the Deified Julius."

Nomina decem mensibus antiquis Romulum fecisse Fulvius et Iunius auctores sunt. et quidem duos primos a parentibus suis nominasse, Martium a Marte patre, Aprilem ab Aphrodite, id est Venere, unde maiores eius oriundi dicebantur. proximos duos a populo, Maium a maioribus natu, Iunium a iunioribus. ceteros ab ordine quo singuli erant, Quintilem usque Decembrem perinde a numero.

Fulvius and Junius are the authorities that Romulus made the names for the ten ancient months. And indeed [that] he named the first two from his parents, March from Mars his father, April from Aphrodite, that is, Venus, from whom his ancestors were said to be sprung; the next two from the people, May from the elders by birth, June from the younger; the rest from the order in which each stood, Quintilis up to December likewise from the number.

Fulvius and Junius report that Romulus named the ten ancient months. He named the first two after his parents: March (Martius) after his father, Mars, and April (Aprilis) after Aphrodite, that is, Venus, from whom his ancestors were said to descend. He named the next two after the people: May (Maius) after the elders (maiores), and June (Iunius) after the younger men (iuniores). The rest, from Quintilis to December, he named by their place in order, by number.

Varro autem Romanos a Latinis nomina mensum accepisse arbitratus auctores eorum antiquiores quam urbem fuisse satis argute docet.

But Varro, judging that the Romans received the names of the months from the Latins, shows quite cleverly that their authors were older than the city.

But Varro held that the Romans took the names of the months from the Latins. He shows quite cleverly that those who made the names were older than the city.

itaque Martium mensem a Marte quidem nominatum credit, non quia Romuli fuerit pater, sed quod gens Latina bellicosa. Aprilem autem non ab Aphrodite, sed ab aperiendo, quod tunc ferme cuncta gignantur et nascendi claustra aperiat natura.

And so he believes the month of March was indeed named from Mars, not because he was the father of Romulus, but because the Latin race [was] warlike; April, however, not from Aphrodite but from opening, because then nearly all things are brought forth and nature opens the gates of being born.

So he believes that March was indeed named after Mars, but not because Mars was the father of Romulus. It was because the Latin people were warlike. April, he thinks, came not from Aphrodite but from "opening" (aperire), because almost everything is born then, and nature opens the gates of birth.

Maium vero non a maioribus, sed a Maia nomen accepisse, quod eo mense tam Romae quam antea in Latio res divina Maiae fit et Mercurio. Iunium quoque a Iunone potius quam iunioribus, quod illo mense maxime Iunoni honores habentur.

May, however, received its name not from the elders but from Maia, because in that month, at Rome as formerly in Latium, divine service is done to Maia and to Mercury. June also from Juno rather than from the younger, because in that month honors are paid to Juno most of all.

May, he says, took its name not from the elders but from Maia, because in this month sacrifice is made to Maia and Mercury, now at Rome as before in Latium. June too came from Juno rather than from the younger men, because in that month Juno is honored most of all.21

21. Macrobius also derives April from "opening," and names March after Mars as father of Romulus. For May he gives the elders, Jupiter, the Earth and two goddesses called Maia; for June, the younger men, Juno and Brutus.

Quintilem, quod loco iam apud Latinos fuerit quinto, item Sextilem ac deinceps ad Decembrem a numeris appellatos. ceterum Ianuarium et Februarium postea quidem additos, sed nominibus iam ex Latio sumptis; et Ianuarium ab Iano, cui adtributus est, nomen traxisse, Februarium a februo.

Quintilis, because it was already fifth in place among the Latins, likewise Sextilis and so on to December, were named from numbers. But January and February were indeed added later, but with names already taken from Latium; and January drew its name from Janus, to whom it is assigned, February from februum.

Quintilis was so called because it was already fifth in place among the Latins, and likewise Sextilis and the rest up to December were named from numbers. January and February, he says, were indeed added later, but with names already taken from Latium. January took its name from Janus, to whom it is assigned,22 and February from februum.

22. Janus was the god of entrances (Fowler).

est februum quidquid piat purgatque, et februamenta purgamenta, item februare purgare et purum facere. februum autem non idem usquequaque dicitur: nam aliter in aliis sacris februatur, hoc est purgatur.

Februum is whatever expiates and cleanses, and februamenta [are] purgings, likewise februare [is] to purge and make pure. But februum is not said the same everywhere: for in other rites there is purifying (februatur) in other ways, that is, cleansing.

Februum is anything that cleanses and purifies, and februamenta are purifications. Likewise februare means to purify and make clean. But februum does not mean the same thing everywhere, because purifying is done in different ways in different rites.

in hoc autem mense Lupercalibus, cum Roma lustratur, salem calidum ferunt, quod februum appellant, unde dies Lupercalium proprie februatus et ab eo porro mensis Februarius vocitatur.

But in this month at the Lupercalia, when Rome is purified, they carry hot salt, which they call februum, from which the day of the Lupercalia is properly [called] februatus, and from it in turn the month is called February.

In this month, at the Lupercalia, when Rome is purified, they carry hot salt, which they call februum. So the day of the Lupercalia is properly called februatus, and from it in turn the month is called February.23

23. The Lupercalia was held on February 15 (Fowler). Fowler and Lewis and Short also derive February from februum, a means of purification; Fowler warns that "purification" may not cover all its meaning.

ex his duodecim mensibus duorum tantum nomina inmutata. nam Quintilis Iulius cognominatus est C. Caesare V et M. Antonio cons. anno Iuliano secundo: qui autem Sextilis fuerat, ex SC. Marcio Censorino C. Asinio Gallo cons. in Augusti honorem dictus est Augustus anno Augusti vicensimo. quae nomina etiam nunc ad hanc permanent memoriam.

Of these twelve months the names of only two have been changed. For Quintilis was named Iulius when Gaius Caesar for the fifth time and Marcus Antonius were consuls, in the second Julian year; but [the month] which had been Sextilis, by a decree of the senate, when Marcius Censorinus [and] Gaius Asinius Gallus were consuls, was called Augustus in honor of Augustus, in the twentieth year of Augustus. These names last even now to our memory.

Of these twelve months, only two have had their names changed. Quintilis was renamed Iulius [July] when Gaius Caesar, for the fifth time, and Mark Antony were consuls, in the second Julian year. The month that had been Sextilis was renamed Augustus in honor of Augustus by a decree of the senate. That was when Marcius Censorinus and Gaius Asinius Gallus were consuls, in the twentieth year of Augustus.24 These names have lasted to our own day.

24. July was renamed in 44 BCE, the year Caesar was killed, and August in 8 BCE. Censorinus himself counts the years of Augustus from 27 BCE, when he took that name (21.8, not included here). Macrobius quotes the decree.

postea vero multi principes nomina quaedam mensium inmutaverunt suis nuncupando nominibus; quod aut ipsi postmodum mutaverunt, aut post obitum eorum illa nomina pristina suis reddita mensibus.

But afterward many emperors changed certain names of months, calling them by their own names; which either they themselves changed afterward, or after their death those former names were given back to their months.

Later, many emperors changed the names of some months, calling them by their own names. But either they changed them back themselves later, or after their deaths the old names were given back to the months.25

25. Nero, for example, renamed April Neroneus (Suetonius, Nero 55), and Domitian gave his names to September and October (Suetonius, Domitian 13).