Lectitō › Cicero › The Dream of Scipio (Somnium Scipionis)
Somnium Scipionis (De Re Publica 6.19)
The smallness of the earth
Cicero, Somnium Scipionis. Latin text with a sentence-by-sentence English translation, notes and vocabulary.
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Read in LectitōRep. 6.19.1Tum Āfricānus: Sentiō, inquit, tē sēdem etiam nunc hominum ac domum contemplārī;
Then Africanus said: 'I see that even now you are gazing at the dwelling-place and home of men;
Note. Sentiō … tē … contemplārī: indirect statement, 'I perceive that you are gazing at'.
Rep. 6.19.1quae sī tibi parva, ut est, ita vidētur, haec caelestia semper spectātō, illa hūmāna contemnitō.
if it seems small to you, as indeed it is, always look at these heavenly things and despise those human ones.
Note. quae: the earth, sēdēs hominum. ut est: 'as it is'. spectātō … contemnitō: future imperatives, used for general rules: 'always look … despise'.
Rep. 6.19.1Tū enim quam celebritātem sermōnis hominum aut quam expetendam cōnsequī glōriam potes?
For what fame in men's talk, or what glory worth seeking, can you win?
Note. quam celebritātem … aut quam … glōriam: interrogative adjectives, 'what fame … or what glory'. expetendam: gerundive, 'worth seeking'.
Rep. 6.19.1Vidēs habitārī in terrā rārīs et angustīs in locīs et in ipsīs quasi maculīs, ubi habitātur, vāstās sōlitūdinēs interiectās, eōsque, quī incolunt terram, nōn modo interruptōs ita esse, ut nihil inter ipsōs ab aliīs ad aliōs mānāre possit, sed partim oblīquōs, partim trānsversōs, partim etiam adversōs stāre vōbīs;
You see that the earth is inhabited in scattered and narrow places, and that among these inhabited spots, which are like blotches, vast wastes lie between; and that those who live on the earth are not only cut off from one another, so that nothing can pass among them from one people to another, but stand partly at an angle to you, partly across from you, and some even directly opposite you;
Note. habitārī: impersonal passive, 'that people live'. quasi maculīs: 'like spots' on the earth's surface. obliquōs, trānsversōs, adversōs: peoples who live, as we would say, in other longitudes and in the other hemisphere, up to the antipodes who stand feet to feet with us.
Rep. 6.19.1ā quibus expectāre glōriam certē nūllam potestis.
from these you can certainly expect no glory.
Note. ā quibus exspectāre glōriam: Roman glory cannot reach peoples who cannot even hear of Rome.
Vocabulary
| tum, adv. | then, at that time |
| sentiō, sentīre, sēnsī, sēnsus | perceive, feel |
| inquam, inquis, inquit, defective verb | I say, you say, he says |
| tū, tuī, pers. pron. | thou, you |
| sēdēs, -is, f. | seat, abode |
| etiam, adv. | and now, also, too, even |
| nunc, adv. | now |
| homō, hominis, m. | man |
| atque, ac (conj.) | and; after comparisons: as, than (ac only before consonants) |
| domus, -ūs, f. | house, home |
| contemplor, -ārī, -ātus sum | look at closely, gaze at, contemplate |
| quī, quae, quod, rel. pron. | who, which |
| sī, conj. | if |
| parvus, -a, -um | little, small |
| ut, conj. | as; when; that; ita ut, as |
| sum, esse, fuī, futūrus | be |
| ita, adv. | in this manner, thus, so; ita ut, as |
| videō, vidēre, vīdī, vīsus | see; pass., seem |
| hic, haec, hoc, dem. pron. | this; ille ... hīc, that ... this, the former ... the latter |
| caelestis, -e | heavenly; pl. as noun: the gods |
| semper, adv. | always |
| spectō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus | look at or on |
| ille, illa, illud, dem. pron. | that; he, she, it, they; ille ... hīc, see hīc |
| hūmānus, -a, -um | of man, human |
| contemnō, -ere, -tempsī, -temptus | despise, scorn, think little of |
| enim, conj. | for |
| quī, quae, quod, interrog. pron. adj. | what? |
| celebritās, -ātis f. | crowd; fame, renown |
| sermō, -ōnis, m. | conversation, talk, speech |
| aut, conj. | or; aut ... aut, either ... or |
| expetō, -ere, -petīvī, -petītus | seek eagerly, desire |
| cōnsequor, -sequī, -secūtus | follow up, follow; overtake |
| glōria, -ae, f. | glory |
| possum, posse, potuī | be able, have power, can |
| habitō, -āre, -āvī, -ātus | dwell, inhabit |
| in, prep. with acc. and abl. | with acc.: into, onto, against; with abl.: in, on |
| terra, -ae, f. | land, earth |
| rārus, -a, -um | scattered, few |
| et, conj. | and; et ... et, both ... and |
| angustus, -a, -um | narrow, cramped |
| locus, -ī, m., plur. loca, -orum, n. | place, situation |
| ipse, ipsa, ipsum, intensive pron. | self, himself, herself, itself, themselves; often to be rendered by very |
| quasi, conj. | as if |
| macula, -ae f. | spot, blotch, stain |
| ubi, adv. | where; conj., when |
| vāstus, -a, -um | waste, huge, enormous, vast |
| sōlitūdō, -inis f. | loneliness; a wilderness, desert |
| intericiō, -ere, -iēcī, -iectum | put between, interweave |
| is, ea, id, dem. pron. | this, that; he, she, it, they |
| que, enclitic conj. | and |
| incolō, -colere, -coluī | inhabit |
| nōn, adv. | not |
| modo, adv. | only |
| interrumpō, -ere, -rūpī, -ruptus | break down, break apart |
| nihil, n., indecl. | nothing |
| inter, prep, with acc. | among, between |
| ā, ab (prep. + abl.) | away from, from; by (ā only before consonants) |
| alius, -a, -ud | another, other; aliī ... aliī, some ... others |
| ad, prep. with acc. | to, toward; at, near; for |
| mānō, -āre, -āvī | flow, trickle; spread |
| sed, conj. | but |
| partim (adv.) | partly (partim … partim: some … others) |
| oblīquus, -a, -um | slanting, sideways, oblique |
| trānsversus, -a, -um | running across, crosswise |
| adversus, -a, -um | facing; unfavourable, unsuccessful |
| stō, stāre, stetī, status | stand |
| vōs | plur. of tū |
| exspectō, -spectāre, -spectāvī, -spectātus | look out for, wait for, await, expect; wait |
| certē (adv.) | certainly, surely; at any rate |
| nūllus, -a, -um | not any, none, no |