SOMNIUM SCIPIONIS
- Cicero De Re Publica (54-51 B.C.)


15) atque ego ut primum fletu represso (part pf pass) loqui (inf pres dep) posse (inf pres) coepi (pf ind defect) ,
At last I restrained my weeping and was able to begin to speak:

Quaeso (pres ind) , inquam (pres/pf defect) , pater sanctissime atque optime, quoniam haec est (pres ind) vita, ut Africanum audio (pres ind) dicere (inf pres) , quid moror (pres ind dep) in terris? quin huc ad vos venire (inf pres) propero (pres ind) ?
"O noblest and most excellent of fathers, since this life is the true life as I hear from the lips of Africanus himself why do I tarry on Earth, why do I not hurry from here to come to you?"

Non est (pres ind) ita, inquit (pres/pf ind defect) ille. nisi enim deus is, cuius hoc templum est (pres ind) omne, quod conspicis (pres ind) , istis te corporis custodiis liberaverit (ftpf ind) , huc tibi aditus patere (inf pres) non potest (pres ind) .
"That is not the way of things," he said. "Unless the god whose temple is all that you see has freed you from the restraints of the body entry here cannot be opened to you.

homines enim sunt hac lege generati (pf ind pass) , qui tuerentur (impf sbj dep) illum globum, quem in hoc templo medium vides (pres ind) , quae terra dicitur (pres ind) ,
All men are born bound by this law that they should be the guardians of that globe which you see in the middle of this temple and which is called Earth.

hisque animus datus (pf ind pass) est ex illis sempiternis ignibus, quae sidera et stellas vocatis (pres ind) ,
For this a soul is given them from the eternal fires which you call stars.

quae globosae et rotundae, divinis animatae mentibus, circulos suos orbesque conficiunt (pres ind) celeritate mirabili.
These are rounded globes and are animate with divine minds and complete their circuits and orbits with miraculous speed.

quare et tibi, Publi, et piis omnibus retinendus (part ft pass) animus est in custodia corporis
Because of this you and all pious men must retain your souls in the constraints of the body.

nec iniussu eius, a quo ille est vobis datus (pf ind pass) , ex hominum vita migrandum (part ft pass) est,
Unless at the command of him who gave you that body you must not depart from the life of men

ne munus humanum adsignatum (part pf pass) a deo defugisse (inf pf) videamini (pres sbj pass) .
since otherwise you would be perceived as a fugitive from the human condition assigned to you by god.