Mars

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 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.

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.

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.

Haec fuit Romuli ordinatio, qui primum anni mensem genitori suo Marti dicauit. quem mensem anni primum fuisse uel ex hoc maxime probatur, quod ab ipso Quintilis quintus est, et deinceps pro numero nominabantur.

This was Romulus's plan. He dedicated the first month of the year to his father, Mars. The clearest proof that March was the first month is that Quintilis is the fifth month counting from it, and the months after it were named by their numbers.

Secundum mensem nominauit Aprilem, ut quidam putant cum adspiratione quasi Aphrilem, a spuma quam Graeci ἀφρὸν uocant, unde orta Venus creditur, et hanc Romuli asserunt fuisse rationem, ut primum quidem mensem a patre suo Marte, secundum ab Aeneae matre Venere nominaret, et hi potissimum anni principia seruarent, a quibus esset Romani nominis origo, cum hodieque in sacris Martem patrem, Venerem genetricem uocemus.

He named the second month Aprilis. Some think the name was first said with an h, as Aphrilis, from the sea foam that the Greeks call aphros, from which Venus is believed to have been born. They claim that this was Romulus's reasoning. He named the first month after his father, Mars, and the second after Venus, mother of Aeneas. He wanted the gods from whom the Roman people came to hold the start of the year above all. Even today, in our rites, we call Mars "Father" and Venus "Mother."

alii putant Romulum uel altiore prudentia uel certi numinis prouidentia ita primos ordinasse menses ut, cum praecedens Marti esset dicatus deo plerumque hominum necatori, ut Homerus naturae conscius ait Ἆρες Ἄρες βροτολοιγὲ μιαιφόνε τειχεσιβλῆτα secundus Veneri dicaretur, quae uim eius quasi benefica leniret.

Others think that Romulus, through deeper wisdom or the guidance of some god, arranged the first months so that one would balance the other. The first was dedicated to Mars, a god who most often brings death to men. As Homer, who understood his nature, says, "Ares, Ares, ruin of men, stained with blood, stormer of walls!" So the second was dedicated to Venus, whose kindness might soften his violence.