Somnium Scipionis (De Re Publica 6.25)

Rep. 6.25.1Nam quod semper movētur, aeternum est;

For what is always in motion is eternal;

Note. The proof of immortality (to the end of the chapter) is translated almost word for word from Plato's Phaedrus (245c-e): the soul is self-moving, therefore without beginning and without end.

Rep. 6.25.1quod autem mōtum adfert alicui, quodque ipsum agitātur aliunde, quandō fīnem habet mōtus, vīvendī fīnem habeat necesse est.

but what imparts motion to something else, and is itself moved from elsewhere, must cease to live when its motion ends.

Note. quodque = et quod, 'and which'; the edition prints the enclitic joined to quod. quandō fīnem habet mōtus: 'when its motion has an end'. vīvendī: gerund, 'of living'.

Rep. 6.25.1Sōlum igitur, quod sēsē movet, quia numquam dēseritur ā sē, numquam nē movērī quidem dēsinit;

So only that which moves itself, since it is never abandoned by itself, never even ceases to move;

Note. Sōlum … quod sēsē movet: 'only that which moves itself'. numquam nē movērī quidem dēsinit: 'never even ceases to be moved'; in Latin a second negative after numquam does not cancel it when it is nē … quidem.

Rep. 6.25.1quīn etiam cēterīs, quae moventur, hic fōns, hoc prīncipium est movendī.

indeed, for all the other things that move, this is the source, this the beginning of motion.

Note. quīn etiam: 'indeed, moreover'. hic fōns, hoc prīncipium: 'this is the source, this the beginning'. movendī: gerund.

Rep. 6.25.1Prīncipiī autem nūlla est orīgō;

But a beginning has no origin;

Note. Prīncipiī … nūlla est orīgō: a beginning, by definition, has no beginning itself.

Rep. 6.25.1nam ex prīncipiō oriuntur omnia, ipsum autem nūllā ex rē aliā nāscī potest;

for everything arises from a beginning, but the beginning itself cannot be born from anything else;

Note. ipsum autem nūllā ex rē aliā nāscī potest: 'but it itself cannot be born from anything else'.

Rep. 6.25.1nec enim esset id prīncipium, quod gignerētur aliunde;

for it would not be a beginning if it were produced from elsewhere;

Note. nec … esset … quod gignerētur: present-contrary-to-fact: 'for it would not be a beginning if it were born from elsewhere'.

Rep. 6.25.1quodsī numquam oritur, nē occīdit quidem umquam.

and if it never arises, it never perishes either.

Note. quodsī: 'but if'. nē occidit quidem umquam: 'it does not ever perish either'.

Rep. 6.25.1Nam prīncipium exstīnctum nec ipsum ab aliō renāscētur nec ex sē aliud creābit, sīquidem necesse est ā prīncipiō orīrī omnia.

For a beginning, once extinguished, will neither be reborn from something else nor create anything else from itself, since everything must arise from a beginning.

Note. prīncipium exstīnctum: 'a beginning, if extinguished'; the participle stands for a condition. siquidem: 'since indeed'.

Rep. 6.25.1Ita fit, ut mōtus prīncipium ex eō sit, quod ipsum ā sē movētur;

So it follows that the beginning of motion comes from that which is moved by itself;

Note. Ita fit, ut …: 'so it comes about that …'. ex eō … quod ipsum ā sē movētur: 'from that which is moved by itself'.

Rep. 6.25.1id autem nec nāscī potest nec morī;

and this can neither be born nor die;

Note. nec nāscī … nec morī: the conclusion of the argument: the self-mover is unborn and undying.

Rep. 6.25.1vel concīdat omne caelum omnisque nātūra et cōnsistat necesse est nec vim ūllam nancīscātur, quā ā prīmō inpulsa moveātur.

otherwise the whole heaven and all nature must collapse and come to a stop, and find no force by which, driven from the first, it could be set in motion.

Note. vel: 'otherwise'. concidat … cōnsistat necesse est: necesse est with the subjunctive and no ut. quā ā prīmō inpulsa moveātur: 'by which, impelled from the first, it might be moved'; inpulsa is the edition's spelling of impulsa.