Dream of Scipio and Stoic Paradoxes

Since I thought this to be the case, I did it even more boldly

Cato

On the greatness of the soul

On death

On the praise of virtue

On the immortal gods

On love of fatherland

He is accustomed to speak in a Stoic manner with no oratorical ornaments applied

But I have cast those very things which the Stoics barely approve in their gymnasiums and leisure

into common topics

Because these are admirable

outside the opinion of all men

they are called paradoxes by the Greeks themselves

I wanted to test

whether they could be brought into the light

that is, into the forum

and be spoken in such a way that they would be approved

or if there were a certain learned speech

and another popular speech

And so I wrote more happily

because those paradoxes which are called

seem to me most Socratic

and by far the truest

You will therefore receive this small booklet produced in these now shorter nights

since that task of my greater vigils appeared under your name

and you will taste the kind of my exercises

which I am accustomed to use

with that which is called thetic in the schools

that is, its own position adapted to our oratorical kind of speaking

I do not ask that you bring this work into the open

For it is not such that it can be placed in a citadel

like that Minerva of Phidias

but only that it seems to have come from the same workshop

to appear to have come out in this same figure

What is honorable is the only good

To Clercus

yet lest to any of you this speech should seem to be drawn from the disputes of Stoic men

and not from my own feeling

I will say only what I feel

and I will say briefly as such a great matter can be said

Never, by Hercules, have I

neither the money of those people

nor magnificent houses

nor wealth

nor commands

nor the pleasures to which they are most strictly bound

thought to be counted among good things

For when they seemed to be flourishing with these things

they nevertheless most desired those things in which they abounded

For the thirst of desire is never filled

nor is it sated

nor is it tortured only by the desire of increasing what they have

but also by the desire of losing them

Since I thought this to be the case, I did it even more boldly. That man of whom I speak, Cato, had dictated about the greatness of the soul, about self-restraint, about death, about every praise of virtue, about the immortal gods, about love of fatherland; he is accustomed to speak in a Stoic manner with no oratorical ornaments applied. I, however, have cast into common topics those very things which the Stoics barely approve in their gymnasiums and in leisure. Because these are admirable, contrary to the opinion of all men, they are called paradoxes by the Greeks themselves; I wanted to test whether they could be brought into the light, that is, into the forum, and be spoken in such a way that they would be approved, or if there were a certain learned speech and another popular speech. And so I wrote more happily, because those paradoxes which are so called seem to me most Socratic and by far the truest. You will therefore receive this small booklet produced in these now shorter nights, since that task of my greater vigils appeared under your name, and you will taste the kind of my exercises which I am accustomed to use with that which is called thetic in the schools, that is, its own position adapted to our oratorical kind of speaking. I do not ask that you bring this work into the open. For it is not such that it can be placed in a citadel, like that Minerva of Phidias, but only that it seems to have come from the same workshop, to appear to have come out in this same figure.

What is honorable is the only good, etc. To Clercus, however, lest to any of you this speech should seem to be drawn from the disputes of Stoic men and not from my own feeling, I will say only what I feel, and I will say briefly as such a great matter can be said. Never, by Hercules, have I thought neither the money of those people, nor magnificent houses, nor wealth, nor commands, nor the pleasures to which they are most strictly bound, to be counted among good things. For when they seemed to be flourishing with these things, they nevertheless most desired those things in which they abounded. For the thirst of desire is never filled, nor is it sated, nor is it tortured only by the desire of increasing what they have, but also by the desire of losing them.