[148]
72. "Then let dreams, as a means of divination, be rejected along with the rest. Speaking
frankly, superstition, which is widespread among
the nations, has taken advantage of human weakness
to cast its spell over the mind of almost every man.
This same view was stated in my treatise On the
Nature of the Gods; and to prove the correctness of
that view has been the chief aim of the present
discussion. For I thought that I should be rendering a great service both to myself and to my countrymen if I could tear this superstition up by the roots.
But I want it distinctly understood that the destruction of superstition does not mean the destruction
of religion. For I consider it the part of wisdom
to preserve the institutions of our forefathers by
retaining their sacred rites and ceremonies. Furthermore, the celestial order and the beauty of the
universe compel me to confess that there is some
excellent and eternal Being, who deserves the
respect and homage of men.
Cicero: De Senectute De Amicitia De Divinatione. With An English Translation. William Armistead Falconer. Cambridge. Harvard University Press; Cambridge, Mass., London, England. 1923.
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