Much about that time he had it in his head to go on ship-
board, but dreamt that he had warning given him by the man he had got
to be interred, not to go; that if he went, the ship would
infallibly be cast away. Upon this Simonides returned, and every soul of
them besides that went on board was lost.
Cicero "de Divinatione", lib. 2. "Somnium, Alexandri. Qui, cum
Ptolomaeus familiaris ejus, in proelio, telo venenato ictus esset, eoque
vulnere summo cum dolore moreretur, Alexander assidens somno est
consopitus; tum secundum quietem visus ei dicitur draco is, quem
mater Olympias alebat, radiculam ore ferre & simul dicere quo illa
loci nasceretur neque is longe aberat ab eo loco: ejus autem esse vim
tantam, ut Ptolomaeum facile sanaret. Cum Alexander experrectus
narrasset amicis somnium, emisisse qui illam radiculam quaererent. Qua,
inventa, & Ptolomaeus sanatus dicitur, & multi milites, qui erant eodem
genere teli vulnerati."
(i. e.) The dream of Alexander, when his friend Ptolemy was wounded
in battle, by an envenomed dart, and died of the wound, in all the
extremities of pain and anguish; Alexander sitting by him, and
wearied out and quite fatigued, fell into a profound sleep. In this
sleep, that dragon is reported to have appeared to him, which was bred
up by his mother Olympias, carrying a little root in his mouth and to
have told him in what spot of ground it grew, (nor was it far from
that very place) and told him withal it seems, that such was the
force, efficacy, and virtue of it, that it would work an easy cure
upon Ptolomy.
Pages:
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75