Book 1, Chapter 28

58 “What could be called more divine than this dream? But why seek more examples, or ancient ones? I have often told you my dream, and often heard yours from you. When I was governing Asia as proconsul, I dreamed that you rode up to the bank of a great river, suddenly went too far forward, slipped into the water, and vanished. I trembled, stricken with fear. Then suddenly you emerged in high spirits, rode the same horse up the opposite bank, and we embraced. This dream was easy to interpret, and experts in Asia foretold to me the very course events took.

59 “Now I come to yours. I heard it from you yourself, but our friend Sallustius has told it to me more often. During that exile, glorious for us but disastrous for our country, you were staying at a villa on the plain of Atina. You had lain awake much of the night, and only toward dawn began to sleep soundly and deeply. Though your journey pressed, Sallustius ordered silence and would not allow you to be wakened. When you awoke at about the second hour, you told him your dream. You had seemed to be wandering sadly in lonely places when Gaius Marius, with laurel-wreathed fasces, asked you why you were downcast. You told him you had been driven by force from your country. He took your right hand, told you to be of good courage, and handed you over to his nearest lictor to be led to his monument, saying that there you would find deliverance. Sallustius says that he himself then cried out that a swift and glorious return awaited you, and that you too seemed delighted with the dream. As for what followed, I myself soon received the news. You had heard that the Senate’s magnificent decree for your return was passed in Marius’ monument, on the motion of the consul, a most honorable and distinguished man, and that an immense audience in the theater had endorsed it with extraordinary shouts and applause. You then said that nothing could be more divine than your dream at Atina.

58 “Could any dream show divine power more clearly? Why search for further examples, or ones from long ago? You have repeatedly heard my dream from me, and I have heard yours from you just as often. As proconsul in charge of Asia, I dreamed of you riding to the edge of a great river. Suddenly you were carried forward, slipped into the river, and disappeared. I shook with terror. Suddenly you reappeared, looking happy. Still on the same horse, you climbed the far bank; we hugged one another. This dream was easy to interpret. Experts in Asia predicted for me the very course of events that followed.

59 “Now I come to your dream. You told me about it yourself, though Sallustius, our friend, has repeated the account to me more often. During that flight of yours, which brought us honor but brought our country disaster, your lodging was a villa in Atina's plain. After lying awake for much of the night, you finally fell into sound, deep sleep as daylight approached. So, although you had to resume your journey, Sallustius ordered silence and would not let you be woken. On waking at roughly the day's second hour, you described your dream to him: you had seen yourself roaming in sadness through deserted places. Gaius Marius appeared with laurel-decorated rods of office and asked why you were sad. You said you had been driven from your country by force. He took your right hand, told you to be brave, and handed you over to the nearest lictor to take you to his monument. He said you would find safety there. Sallustius says he then cried out that a quick and glorious return was in store for you, and that you yourself seemed delighted by the dream. I myself soon received word of what you said when you heard about that splendid senate decree for your return. It had been passed at Marius' monument, on the motion of the consul, a very good and distinguished man, and endorsed by an unbelievably loud outburst of cheers and applause in a packed theater. You said nothing could be more divine than that dream at Atina.