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Somnium Scipionis

Cicero

The visionary closing section of Cicero's De re publica, imagining a dream of the Roman general Scipio Aemilianus about the cosmos and the afterlife of statesmen.

Cicero wrote this philosophical dream-vision as the climax of his work on the Roman state.

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Illuminated book page with the title 'Somnium Scipionis ex Ciceronis libro de re publica excerptum' in red and black, a decorated initial, dense Latin text in columns, interlace borders in gold, red, blue and green, a portrait medallion of a woman on the right, and a coat of arms at the bottom centre.
Page from a 12th-century manuscript of Macrobius's commentary on Cicero's Somnium Scipionis. Royal Library, Copenhagen.

About this source

What it is

The Somnium Scipionis (Dream of Scipio) is the surviving final book of Cicero's dialogue De re publica, written by the Roman statesman Cicero. It survives mainly because the later writer Macrobius quoted long passages in his own commentary. The image here shows a page from a 12th-century manuscript of that commentary, copied centuries after Cicero's death.

Why it matters

The text describes a dream vision given to Scipio Aemilianus, revealing the structure of the universe and the reward awaiting loyal statesmen after death. It reflects Cicero's Stoic philosophy and his ideas about duty and the soul. Through Macrobius's commentary, the work deeply shaped medieval ideas about the cosmos, showing how Cicero's writing influenced thinkers long after Rome fell.

Look closer

  • Why did later readers preserve this text through a commentary rather than directly?
  • What does the decoration of the manuscript tell us about who valued this text, and why?
  • How might a vision of the afterlife serve a political purpose for a Roman statesman?

This book is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Cicero on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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Manuscript page numbered 169 in Latin, handwritten in brown ink with a decorated illuminated initial letter in the upper left in red, green, and blue with gold accents. The text begins with the opening words of Cicero's first Catilinarian oration, 'Quo usque tandem abutere...'.Speech

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Catiline Orations

Cicero · 63 BCE

Engraved print of a bust of Marcus Tullius Cicero, shown in three-quarter view facing right. The bust has curly hair, a draped toga over the shoulder, and sits on a round stepped pedestal. Latin caption below reads M. TVLLIVS CICERO, Ex marmore antiquo, with small engraver credits in the bottom corners.Painting

Secondary source

Marcus Tullius Cicero, engraved after antique marble busts

Jan Witdoeck

Open manuscript leaf with illuminated Latin text. A decorated initial at left contains a small painted portrait of a bearded man wearing a crown. Ornamental borders in gold, blue, pink, and green frame the page, with cherubs at the bottom. The Latin text is written in brown ink in a formal script.Book

Primary source

De Officiis

Cicero · 44 BC

Engraved print on cream paper showing an oval cameo portrait in profile of Cicero, a bald-fronted man with curly hair facing left. Below are a label reading CICERO and two Roman coins, with a Latin inscription at the bottom and the number 78.Painting

Secondary source

Portrait of Cicero (Bildnis des Cicero)

Manuscript page of Latin text in dark brown ink on yellowed parchment, with a faded underlying script visible in the lower layer. Stained and darkened areas across the page, a palimpsest with the upper text dominant.Book

Primary source

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