Ancient and modern Rome has always considered April 21 to be the date of its founding. In honor of this auspicious day, I have read Ovid's version of the founding of this city and provided my own translation.
From Book IV, lines 807-862, of the Fasti:
Urbis origo
venit; ades factis, magne Quirine, tuis.
iam luerat poenas frater Numitoris, et omne
pastorum gemino sub duce volgus erat;
contrahere agrestes et moenia ponere utrique
convenit: ambigitur moenia ponat uter.
'nil opus est' dixit 'certamine' Romulus 'ullo;
magna fides avium est: experiamur aves.'
res placet: alter init nemorosi saxa Palati;
alter Aventinum mane cacumen init.
sex Remus, hic volucres bis sex videt ordine; pacto
statur, et arbitrium Romulus urbis habet.
apta dies legitur qua moenia signet aratro:
sacra Palis suberant; inde movetur opus. 820
fossa fit ad solidum, fruges iaciuntur in ima
et de vicino terra petita solo;
fossa repletur humo, plenaeque imponitur ara,
et novus accenso fungitur igne focus.
inde premens stivam designat moenia sulco;
alba iugum niveo cum bove vacca tulit.
vox fuit haec regis: 'condenti, Iuppiter, urbem,
et genitor Mavors Vestaque mater, ades,
quosque pium est adhibere deos, advertite cuncti:
auspicibus vobis hoc mihi surgat opus.
longa sit huic aetas dominaeque potentia terrae,
sitque sub hac oriens occiduusque dies.'
ille precabatur, tonitru dedit omina laevo
Iuppiter, et laevo fulmina missa polo.
augurio laeti iaciunt fundamina cives,
et novus exiguo tempore murus erat.
hoc Celer urget opus, quem Romulus ipse vocarat,
'sint' que, 'Celer, curae' dixerat 'ista tuae,
neve quis aut muros aut factam vomere fossam
transeat; audentem talia dede neci.'
quod Remus ignorans humiles contemnere muros
coepit, et 'his populus' dicere 'tutus erit?'
nec mora, transiluit: rutro Celer occupat ausum;
ille premit duram sanguinulentus humum.
haec ubi rex didicit, lacrimas introrsus obortas
devorat et clausum pectore volnus habet.
flere palam non volt exemplaque fortia servat,
'sic' que 'meos muros transeat hostis' ait.
dat tamen exsequias; nec iam suspendere fletum
sustinet, et pietas dissimulata patet;
osculaque adplicuit posito suprema feretro,
atque ait 'invito frater adempte, vale',
arsurosque artus unxit: fecere, quod ille,
Faustulus et maestas Acca soluta comas.
tum iuvenem nondum facti flevere Quirites;
ultima plorato subdita flamma rogo est.
urbs oritur (quis tunc hoc ulli credere posset?)
victorem terris impositura pedem.
cuncta regas et sis magno sub Caesare semper,
saepe etiam plures nominis huius habe;
et, quotiens steteris domito sublimis in orbe,
omnia sint umeris inferiora tuis.
And now my translation, which (I must admit) I have rendered a bit more freely than I have allowed my in the past:
…The beginning of the City has come;
be present for your deeds, great Quirinus!
The brother of Numitor had paid for his crimes,
and every flock of shepherds was under twin leadership;
each one decided to gather the rustic folk and build walls:
“There is no need for any argument,” said Romulus;
“There is great faith in birds: let’s see what the birds have to say.”
The matter is agreed: one goes to the rocks of the woodsy Palatine;
the other heads to the top of the Aventine in the morning.
Remus sees six birds, this guy twelve in a row;
the agreement stands, and Romulus has control of the city.
A suitable day is chosen to mark the place for the walls with a plow:
the sacred rites of Pales were going on; then they get to work.
A ditch is made in the solid rock. They fill it with fruits
and earth gathered from neighboring territories;
The ditch is filled with dirt, and an altar is placed on the pile,
and a kindled fire burns on the new hearth.
Then, pressing down the handle of his plow, he traces out walls with his furrow;
a white cow with a snow-white bull brought the yoke.
These were the words of the king: “Jupiter and Father Mars
and Mother Vesta, be present for the founding of our city,
and whatever gods it is right to invite, pay attention, everyone:
let me do my work with you as my presiders.
May the age for this city and the power of this land as ruler be long,
and let the rising and setting day be under her power.”
That one was praying, and Jupiter thundered his omens
on the left and sent lightning bolts to the left in the sky.
From this good omen the happy citizens lay the foundations,
and in no time at all there was a new wall.
Celer, whom Romulus himself had summoned, urges on this work,
and he had said, “Celer, may those things be your concerns,
and do not let anyone cross these walls or ditch made from the plow;
kill anyone daring such things.”
Remus, not aware of this, began to despise these lowly walls,
and said, “The people will be safe with these?”
And quickly he leapt over: Celer attacks the offender with a shovel;
Remus bloody falls to the hard ground.
When the king learned of this, he fights back his rising tears
and keeps the pain shut away in his heart.
He does not show his grief openly and feigns strength,
and says, “Likewise to any enemy who crosses my walls.”
However he gives him funeral rites; he is no longer able
to hold back his tears, and his hidden devotion is made obvious;
and he gave kisses to the funeral bier having been set down,
and said, “my brother, unwillingly taken from me, farewell!”
He anointed his limbs about to burn: Faustulus and Acca
having let down her hair in grief, did the same as Romulus.
Then those not yet having been made Quirites wept for the youth;
the last flame was placed beneath the pyre wet with tears.
The city rises (who could have believe any of this then?),
about to place its foot as victor over all the lands.
May you rule the world and may you always be under the power of great Caesar,
and may you often have more of this name name also;
and, as long as you stand high over a conquered world,
may all else be lower than your shoulders.
