But afterwards, having been entertained by kingly magnificence, we drew the conversation out deep into the night; all the while the venerable old man spoke of nothing but the elder Scipio, not only his deeds but he also recalled his words. Then, as we went off to bed, I—tired from the road and from staying up later than I was accustomed to doing—was gripped more tightly than usual by sleep. At this time, there appeared to me—indeed, I believe this happened because of what we had talked about; for what I saw was made to speak, as our thoughts and actions produce things in dreams just as with Homer about whom (as the wisest and the alert clearly see) Ennius used to think and speak—there appeared to me Africanus in a certain form, which I knew more from seeing his picture than from seeing the man himself. As soon as I recognized him, I indeed shuddered, but he said: "Gather your wits and cast out any fear, Scipio; and commit to memory that which I shall now speak to you!"
post autem, apparatu regio accepti, sermonem in multam noctem produximus, cum senex nihil nisi de Africano loqueretur, omniaque eius non facta solum sed etiam dicta meminisset. Deinde ut cubitum discessimus, me et de via fessum et qui ad multam noctem vigilassem, artior quam solebat somnus complexus est. Hic mihi (credo equidem ex hoc quod eramus locuti; fit enim fere ut cogitationes sermonesque nostri pariant aliquid in somno, tale quale de Homero scribit Ennius, de quo videlicet saepissime vigilans solebat cogitare et loqui) Africanus se ostendit, ea forma quae mihi ex imagine eius quam ex ipso erat notior; quem ubi agnovi, equidem cohorrui; sed ille "Ades" inquit "animo, et omitte timorem, Scipio, et quae dicam trade memoriae."
But afterwards, having been entertained by kingly magnificence, we drew the conversation out deep into the night; all the while the venerable old man spoke of nothing but the elder Scipio, not only his deeds but he also recalled his words. Then, as we went off to bed, I—tired from the road and from staying up later than I was accustomed to doing—was gripped more tightly than usual by sleep. At this time, there appeared to me—indeed, I believe this happened because of what we had talked about; for what I saw was made to speak, as our thoughts and actions produce things in dreams just as with Homer about whom (as the wisest and the alert clearly see) Ennius used to think and speak—there appeared to me Africanus in a certain form, which I knew more from seeing his picture than from seeing the man himself. As soon as I recognized him, I indeed shuddered, but he said: "Gather your wits and cast out any fear, Scipio; and commit to memory that which I shall now speak to you!"
post autem, apparatu regio accepti, sermonem in multam noctem produximus, cum senex nihil nisi de Africano loqueretur, omniaque eius non facta solum sed etiam dicta meminisset. Deinde ut cubitum discessimus, me et de via fessum et qui ad multam noctem vigilassem, artior quam solebat somnus complexus est. Hic mihi (credo equidem ex hoc quod eramus locuti; fit enim fere ut cogitationes sermonesque nostri pariant aliquid in somno, tale quale de Homero scribit Ennius, de quo videlicet saepissime vigilans solebat cogitare et loqui) Africanus se ostendit, ea forma quae mihi ex imagine eius quam ex ipso erat notior; quem ubi agnovi, equidem cohorrui; sed ille "Ades" inquit "animo, et omitte timorem, Scipio, et quae dicam trade memoriae."