Somnium Scipionis, Part XXVI

“Since it is evident that this is eternal which is moved by its very self, who is there who denies that this nature has been given to souls? For everything which is driven by an external push is inanimate, but that which is animal, it is moved by its own and inner motion; for this is the peculiar nature and power of the soul; which, if it is one from all which moves itself, it is both certainly not born and it is eternal.

“You exercise this in the noblest things! But noblest are the cares concerning the prosperity of the fatherland, the soul driven and exercised by which will fly more swiftly into this seat and its own home; and it will do this more swiftly, if now, then, since it has been enclosed in the body, it will project out through the doors, and, contemplating those things which will be outside, as greatly as possible, it will drag itself away from the body. For the souls of those who have given themselves over to the pleasures of the body and put themselves forth as if servants of these things and violated the laws of gods and men by the impulse of lusts obedient to pleasures, having slipped away from the body they are rolled around the earth itself, nor do they return into this place except having been disturbed for many ages.”

He departed; I was released from my dream.

Somnium Scipionis, Part XXV

“For that which is always moved is eternal; but that which bears its movement to anything and that which itself is driven from another place, since it has an end of movement, it is necessary that it has an end of living. Therefore that which moves itself alone, since it is never left off from itself, not even does it ever desist from being moved; indeed for certain things which move themselves, this fountain, that beginning, is of moving. But there is no origin of the beginning; for all things rise from the beginning, but it itself is able to be born from no other thing; for this would not be a beginning which is born from something else; but if it never arises, nor indeed does it die anywhere. For, the beginning extinguished, neither will it itself be reborn by another, nor will it create another from itself, if indeed it is necessary that all things arise from a beginning. Thus it happens that the beginning of movement is from this thing which itself is moved by itself; this however is neither able to be born or to die; or else it is necessary that the whole heaven fall and that all nature stop and that it does not obtain any force by which, having been struck from the beginning, it is moved.

Somnium Scipionis, Part XXIV

Which things, when he had said them, I say, “I truly, Africanus, if indeed, to those deserving well of the fatherland, the approach of heaven lies open as if a path, although I, having entered upon the steps of my father and upon yours from boyhood, have not been lacking from your glory, now nevertheless, with so great a reward having been placed before me, I shall strive much more vigilantly.” And that one, “You truly strive and thus have that you are not mortal but your body is; for you are not that which that form of yours declares, but the mind of every man is each man, not this figure which is able to be pointed out with a finger. Therefore know that you are a god, if indeed a god is one who flourishes, who feels, who remembers, who foresees, who rules and regulates and moves this body over which he has been placed in charge, which just as the supreme god does this universe; and as the eternal god himself moves the mortal universe from a certain part, thus does the everlasting mind move its fragile body.

Somnium Scipionis, Part XXIII

“Wherefore if you will despair of a return into this place, in which all things are for great and outstanding men, of how little value at last is that glory of men which can hardly extend to the small part of a single year? Therefore if you will wish to look on high and gaze at this seat and eternal home, you should not give yourself over to conversations of the crowd, nor should you place hope of your things in human rewards; it is necessary that virtue itself draw you to true glory with its own enticements; what others might be saying about you, let them themselves see to it, but they will speak nevertheless. But all speech, even that, is girded by these narrow strips of the regions which you see, never about anybody was it everlasting, it is overwhelmed by the destruction of men, and it is extinguished by the forgetfulness of prosperity.”

Somnium Scipionis, Part XII

“For men commonly measure the year by the return of only the sun, that is of one star; in the affair itself, however, when all the stars return to the same place whence they set out, and after long intervals they will have brought back the same description of the entire heaven, then that can truly be called the turning year; in which I scarcely dare to say how many generations of men are held. For as, formerly, when the soul of Romulus entered into this temple itself, the sun seemed to men to desert and be extinguished, whenever, from the same part and at the same time, the sun will have deserted again, then, with all the constellations and stars having been called back to the same beginning, have a completed year; indeed know that of this year a twentieth part has not yet completed.

Somnium Scipionis, Part XXI

“Moreover, if that generation of future men should wish to hand down the taken praises of each one of us from their fathers to their descendants, nevertheless because of the inundations and conflagrations of the lands, which it is necessary happen at a certain time, we are not able to achieve not only an eternal glory, but not even a long lasting one. But what does it matter that there will be discussion concerning you by those who will be born afterwards, since there was none by them who were born before, who where not fewer, and who were certainly better men; particularly since, among those men themselves from whom our name is able to be heard, no one could retain memory of one year?

Somnium Scipionis, Part XX

“But you see this same earth girded and surrounded as if by certain belts, from which you see that two, greatly opposite to each other and resting upon the poles themselves of heaven from either part, stiffen with frost, while you see that that middle and greatest one is scorched by the flame of the sun. Two are habitable, of which that southern one, men who stand on which plant their feet opposite to yours, has nothing to your race; but this other one adjacent to the north, which you inhabit, see in how slight part it touches you. For the entire earth which is inhabited by you, narrowed in the poles, broader in the sides, is a certain small island, surrounded by that sea which you in the lands call the Atlantic, the great, the Ocean, which, of such a great name, you see how small it is.

“From these cultivated and known lands themselves, could either your name or the name of anyone of us either pass this Caucasus, which you see, or swim across that Ganges? Who in the remaining farthest parts of the rising or falling sun or of the north or the south will hear your name? Which regions having been cut off you indeed see in how narrow straits your glory wishes that it be extended. But the men themselves who speak of us, how long will they speak?

Somnium Scipionis, Part XIX

Then said Africanus, “I see that you are even now looking at the seat and home of men; which if it seems to you so small, always look at these heavenly things, disregard those human affairs. For what fame of speech of men or what desired glory can you acquire? You see that it is inhabited on earth in scattered and narrow places, and that in those spots vast wildernesses have been thrown between, and that those who inhabit the earth have not only been scattered about so that nothing can flow between them themselves from some to others, but that some stand sidelong, others crosswise, others even opposite to you, from whom you can certainly expect no glory.

Somnium Scipionis, Part VIII

Since I was gazing on which, when I recovered myself, I say, “What? What is this sound, so sweet, which fills my ears so much?” “This is,” he says, “that which, divided in intervals, unequal but nevertheless distinct, according to a fixed part by reason, is brought about by the impulse and motion of the spheres themselves, and blending high-pitched notes with low-pitched ones, brings about various harmonies equally; for such movements are not able to be inspired by silence, and nature bears so that the extremes from one part sound gravely, while from the other part acutely. On account of which reason that highest starry course, whose turning is more rapid, is moved by a sharp and aroused sound, while this lunar and lowest one is moved by the lowest sound. For the earth, the ninth, remaining motionless, sticks always to one seat, having embraced the middle place of the world. But those eight courses, in which of two of them there is the same power, bring about seven distinct sounds in intervals, which number is generally the knot of all things; learned men, imitating which with strings and songs, have opened for themselves a return into this place, just as other men who have cultivated divine studies through outstanding talents in the human life.

“The ears of men filled with this sound have become deaf, nor is there any duller sense in you, just as where the Nile rushes from the very high mountains to that which is called the Catadupa, that tribe which dwells near that place lacks the sense of hearing because of the magnitude of the sound. Truly this sound of the whole universe, because of its very rapid revolution, is so great that the ears of men are not able to perceive it, just as you are unable to look directly at the sun, and your sense and sight is conquered by its rays.” I, wondering at these things, was nevertheless repeatedly returning my eyes to the earth.

Somnium Scipionis, Part VII

Since I gazed upon which more intently, Africanus said, “I ask, until when will your mind be fastened to the ground? Don’t you see into what temples you have come? It must be known by you that all things are connected by nine circles, or rather spheres, one of which is heavenly, the outermost, which embraces all remaining ones, the highest god himself enclosing and containing the others; fixed on which are those everlasting courses of the stars which are turned; thrown under which there are seven, which turn backwards with a motion contrary to the heaven; from which that one holds one sphere, which those in the lands call Saturn. Whence is that gleam, favorable and healthful to the race of men, which is called Jupiter; then one red and terrible to the lands which you call Mars; whence, below, the sun holds almost the middle region, the leader and chief and governor of the remaining lights, the mind and regulation of the world, with such great magnitude that it illuminates and fills up all things with its own light. The one course of Venus, the other of Mercury follow this one as satellites, and in the lowest region the moon is turned around, illuminated by the rays of the sun. But now below there is nothing unless mortal and perishable except the souls given by the duty of the gods to the race of men, above the moon all things are eternal. For that which is middle and ninth, Tellus, is not moved and it is the lowest and into it all masses are born by their own nod.”

Somnium Scipionis, Part VI

“But thus, Scipio, as your grandfather here, as I who begot you, cultivate justice and loyalty, which is both great in the case of parents and relatives, and the greatest in the case of the fatherland. This life is the way into heaven and into this meeting of those who have already lived their lives and, loosened from the body, inhabit that place which you see” (but that was a circle shining with very bright whiteness among the flames), “which you, as you have learned from the Greeks, call the Milky Way.” From which the others seemed to me, surveying all things, clear and marvelous. But those stars were what we have never seen from this place, and those magnitudes of them all were what we have never suspected them to be, from which the least was that which, farthest from the heaven, closest from the lands, was shining with a foreign light. But the spheres of the stars were easily conquering the magnitude of the earth. Now truly the earth itself seemed so small to me that it made me sorry for our empire, with which we touch as if a point of it.

Somnium Scipionis, Part XV

And as soon as I began to be able to speak, with my weeping having been repressed, I say, “I ask, most sacred and best father, since this is life, as I hear Africanus say, why do I delay in the lands? Why don’t I hasten to come here to you?” He says, “It is not thus. For unless that god, of whom is this temple and all which you see, will have ever freed you from those confinements of the body, the approach here is not able to be open to you. For men were begotten on this condition, who guard that globe, which you see to be the middle in this temple, which is called the earth, and to those a soul was given from those everlasting fires which you call the constellations and the stars, which, spherical and round, animated with divine minds, complete their orbits and circles with marvelous quickness. Therefore, Publius, the soul must be retained by both you and all good men in the keeping of the body, nor without his command from whom that was given to you must it be departed from the life of men, lest you should seem to have avoided the human duty assigned by god.

Somnium Scipionis, Part XIV

Here, although I was thoroughly terrified, not so much by fear of death as by fear of treacheries by my own men, I nevertheless asked if it was not that he himself was alive, and father Paulus and the others, whom we judged to be dead. “Nay truly,” he says, “those live who have rolled out from the chains of bodies as if from prison, your life, which it is called, is truly death. Why don’t you look at your father Paulus coming towards you?” As I saw whom, I for my part poured out a force of tears, but he embraced me and, kissing me, forbade me from weeping.

Somnium Scipionis, Part XIII

“But so that you, Africanus, be swifter to defend the state, have thus: that for all who have preserved, helped, enlarged the fatherland, there is a certain definite place in heaven, where the blessed enjoy everlasting time; for there is indeed nothing which happens in the lands more pleasing to that chief god, who rules the whole universe, than the gatherings and meetings of men united by law, which are called states; the rulers and preservers of these, having set out from here, return to this place.”

Somnium Scipionis, Part XII

“Here it will be fitting that you, Africanus, show to the fatherland the light of your soul and genius and judgment. But of this time, I see the uncertain way as if of the fates. For when your age has eight times turned seven bends and returns of the sun, and these two numbers, each of which is held full, the one for one reason, the other for another reason, by the circuit of nature has completed your destined sum for you; to you alone and to your name will the entire state turn itself; all good men, allies, and Latins will look at you; you will be the one on whom the safety of the state leans; and, lest I say more, it is necessary that you as dictator restore the state, if you will have escaped the wicked hands of your relatives.” Here, since Laelius had cried out and the others had groaned more vehemently, Scipio says, smiling gently, “St! I ask lest you rouse me from my sleep, and listen for a little while to the rest.”

Somnium Scipionis, Part XI

“Do you see that city, which, forced by me to yield to the Roman people, renews the former wars nor is able to rest?” (indeed he was showing Carthage from a certain place elevated and full of stars, bright and clear.) You come now almost as a soldier to attack which. In this period of two years you will overturn this as consul, and that name, which you have thus far, inherited from us, will be earned for you by you. But when you will have erased Carthage, celebrated a triumph and been censor and visited Egypt, Syria, Asia, Greece as an ambassador, you will be chosen again as consul, absent, and you will complete a very great war, you will exterminate Numantia. But when you will be carried by chariot into the Capitol, you will find the state troubled by the plans of my grandson.

Somnium Scipionis, Part X

But afterwards, entertained by a royal splendor, long into the night we prolonged our conversation, while the old man said nothing except about Africanus and remembered not only all his deeds but also his sayings. Afterwards, as we scattered to sleep, sleep embraced me, tired both from my journey and since I had remained awake until late at night, closer than it was accustomed to. There (indeed I believe from what we had said; for it generally happens that our thoughts and conversations bring about in sleep something such as Ennius writes about Homer, of whom he, awake, was certainly very often accustomed to thinking and speaking) Africanus showed himself to me in that form which was more familiar to me from his picture than from himself; when I recognized whom, indeed I shuddered; but he says, “Be present in my mind and disregard your fear, Scipio, and relate to memory what I shall say.

Somnium Scipionis, Part IX

When I had come into Africa as tribune of the soldiers, to the fourth legion, to the consul Manius Manilius, as you know, there was nothing more important to me than that I visited Masinissa, a king very friendly to our family according to just reasons. As I came to whom, the old man, having embraced me, wept over me and a little afterwards he looked up to heaven and said, “I drive thanks to you, highest sun, and to you, remaining celestial ones, because, before I depart from this life, I see in my kingdom and these houses Publius Cornelius Scipio, by whose name itself I am rejuvenated; therefore the memory of that very good and most invincible man never departs from my mind.” Thereon I asked him about his kingdom, he asked me about our state, and with many words on this side and on that, that day was consumed by us.