The short book of M. T. Cicero on the Dream of Scipio, excerpted from the sixth book of his work On the Republic, begins.

When I had arrived in Africa, serving as a military tribune with the fourth legion under the consul Manius Manilius, nothing was more important to me than to visit King Masinissa, a man most friendly to our family for many reasons. When I arrived, the old man embraced me, wept, and after a while, looked up into the heavens and said, "I give thanks to you, supreme Sun, and to you other celestial beings, that before I depart from this life, I see in my kingdom and within these walls P. Cornelius Scipio, whose very name refreshes me. Thus, the memory of that excellent and invincible man never leaves my mind." Then I questioned him about his kingdom, and he questioned me about our res publica republic/commonwealth. We spent that entire day in conversation. After we were entertained with royal splendor, we continued our talk late into the night, as the old man spoke of nothing but Africanus, recalling not only all his deeds but also his words. Then, as we went to rest, a deeper sleep than usual took hold of me, both from the journey and from having stayed awake until late. In this sleep, Africanus appeared to me—I believe because of what we had been discussing, for it usually happens that our thoughts and conversations produce something in sleep like what Ennius wrote about Homer, concerning whom he used to think and speak very often while awake—in a form that was more familiar to me from his portrait than from his actual person. When I recognized him, I shuddered. But he said, "Be of good courage, Scipio, and cast away fear, and commit what I say to your memory. Do you see that city which, forced by me to obey the Roman people, is reviving former wars and cannot remain at peace?" He was pointing out Carthage from a high place, full of stars