Scipio's Dream + Macrobius' Comment

Cicero’s Dream of Scipio Somnium Scipionis 1Translated by Niall McCloskey From the Latin text of Cicero, M.T. De re publica. (Ed. James E.G. Zetzel), Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 1995; Book VI, verses 9-29 ©Niall McCloskey, 1998 Reproduced herein with permission of the copyright owner. 29. You will recall that I went to Africa with the consul M. Manlius [149 B.C.] as mili-tary tribune to the Fourth Legion. At that time it was of great importance to me to visit King Masinissa who was an intimate family friend for some very good reasons. When I called on him the old man embraced me tearfully and after a little while he raised his eyes to the heavens and said: “I give you thanks, Great Sun, and to you also, the rest of the Heavenly Beings, that before I depart from this life I see in my kingdom and in my house a P. Cornelius Scipio whose very name gives me renewed vigor. For never has the memory of that superb 3and unconquerable man been absent from my mind.” Then we discussed the affairs of his kingdom and the af-fairs of our Republic and the rest of that day was spent in animated conversation between us. 1 [Niall McCloskey was born in Dublin in 1939 and studied at University College, Dublin and the University of Liverpool with A.H. Armstrong. He taught Classics at Fourah Bay College (now University of Sierra Leone) Free-town 1965-1967 and at the University of Saskatchewan, ...