On Divination in Sleep

On Divination in Sleep (or On Prophesying by Dreams; Ancient Greek: Περὶ τῆς καθ᾽ ὕπνον μαντικῆς, Latin: De divinatione per somnum) is a text by Aristotle in which he discusses precognitive dreams.

The treatise, one of the Parva Naturalia, is an early inquiry (perhaps the first formal one) into this phenomenon. In his skeptical consideration of such dreams, Aristotle argues that, although "the sender of such dreams should be God," it is nonetheless the case "that those to whom he sends them are not the best and wisest, but merely commonplace persons" (i, 462b20-22). Thus, "Most [so-called prophetic] dreams are, however, to be classed as mere coincidences" (i, 463a31-b1).

External links

• English translation by J.I. Beare
• Greek text ed. W. D. Ross available in HTML format via Greco interattivo

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