Book 2, Chapter 67

136 “You also produced many dreams from historical accounts: those of Phalaris’s mother, Cyrus the Elder, Dionysius’s mother, Hamilcar the Carthaginian, Hannibal, and Publius Decius; then the now familiar dream about the leader of the dance, Gaius Gracchus’s dream, and the recent one of Caecilia, daughter of Balearicus. But these are other people’s experiences and therefore unknown to us; some may even be inventions. Who vouches for them? What have we to say about our own dreams? Yours concerned my emerging from the river and reaching the bank on horseback; mine concerned Marius with his laurel-wreathed fasces, ordering that I be taken to his monument. There is one explanation for all dreams, Quintus. By the immortal gods, let us take care that superstition and distorted thinking do not overwhelm it!

137 “What Marius do you think I saw? His likeness and image, I suppose, as Democritus holds. Where did that image come from? He maintains that images stream from solid bodies and definite shapes. What body of Marius was there, then? ‘The body that once existed,’ he says. So this image of Marius was pursuing me onto the plain of Atina? ‘Everything is full of images: no form can be conceived except through an impact of images.’

138 “Well, then, are these images so obedient to us that the moment we wish it they come running—even images of things that do not exist? What shape is so unheard-of, so nonexistent, that the mind cannot fashion it for itself? Thus we have mental pictures even of things we have never seen: the layouts of towns, human forms.

139 “When I think of the walls of Babylon or Homer’s face, does some image of them strike me? In that case we could know anything we pleased, for there is nothing we cannot think about. No images, then, steal into sleepers’ minds from outside; none stream off at all. Nor have I known anyone who said nothing with greater authority. The mind’s power and nature are such that in waking life it is active, not through any impulse from outside, but by its own movement, with an astonishing swiftness. Supported by limbs, body, and senses, it perceives, thinks, and feels everything more surely. But when these supports are withdrawn and the body’s weariness leaves the mind on its own, it moves by itself. Shapes and actions pass through it, and many things seem to be heard and spoken.

136 “You also brought up many dreams from histories: those of Phalaris' mother, Cyrus the Elder, Dionysius' mother, Hamilcar the Carthaginian, Hannibal, and Publius Decius. Then there is the now well-known dream about the leader of the dancers, Gaius Gracchus' dream, and the recent dream of Caecilia, daughter of Balearicus. But these are other people's experiences, and for that reason unknown to us. Perhaps some were even invented. Who vouches for them? What can we say about our own dreams? You dreamed that I emerged from a river on a horse and reached the bank. I dreamed of Marius with laurel-wreathed rods of office, ordering that I be led into his memorial. There is one explanation for all dreams, Quintus. In the name of the immortal gods, let us take care that our superstition and distorted thinking do not defeat it!

137 “What Marius do you think I saw? ‘His appearance and image, I suppose,’ as Democritus thinks. Where did that image come from? He holds that images flow from solid bodies and definite shapes. So what body of Marius was there? ‘From the body that had existed,’ he says. So this image of Marius followed me into the countryside around Atina?—‘Everything is full of images. No appearance can be thought of except through the impact of images.’

138 “—Well then? Do these images obey our orders so readily that they rush up as soon as we want them? Do they even show up for things that don't exist? Surely the mind can invent any shape for itself, however strange or unreal. We can picture a town's layout or a person's appearance without ever having seen them.

139 “So when I think of the walls of Babylon or Homer's face, does some image of them strike me? Then we can know anything we want to, since there is nothing we cannot think about! No images, then, creep into sleepers' minds from outside. In fact, no images flow off things at all. I have never known anyone talk nonsense with greater authority. The mind's power and nature are such that, when awake, it is active without any impact from outside. It moves by itself with an incredible speed. Supported by the limbs, body, and senses, minds see, think, and feel everything more reliably. But once those supports are gone and bodily tiredness leaves the mind unaided, the mind moves under its own power. So shapes and actions pass through it, and it seems to hear many things and say many things.