somnĭum (noun N) : id..
* Lit., a dream, Cic. Div. 1, 20, 39; 2, 58, 119; Plin. 10, 75, 98, § 211; Macr. Somn. Scip. 1, 3; Lact. Opif. Dei, 18: rex Priamus somnio perculsus, Enn. ap. Cic. Div. 1, 21, 42 (Trag. v. 59 Vahl.): dum huic conicio somnium,interpret,Plaut. Curc. 2, 2, 3; cf. id. Rud. 3, 1, 19: interpretes somniorum,Cic. Div. 1, 58, 132: jucundissima somnia,id. Fin. 5, 20, 55: per somnia loquentes,talking in their sleep,Lucr. 5, 1158; cf.: quae somnio visa fuerant,Liv. 8, 6, 11 Weissenb.
* Personified: Somnia, dreams, as divinities, Cic. N. D. 3, 17, 44; Ov. M. 11, 588; 11, 614 sq
* Transf.
* For any thing idle, silly, or without foundation (cf. somnio, II.), a dream, an idle whim or fancy, stuff, nonsense: tu, quantus quantus, nihil nisi sapientia es: Ille somnium,Ter. Ad. 3, 3, 41: de argento, somnium,id. ib. 2, 1, 50; id. Phorm. 5, 6, 34.—Plur.: fabulae! ... logi! ... somnia!Ter. Phorm. 3, 2, 9: et vigilans stertis nec somnia cernere cessas,visions,Lucr. 3, 1048; cf. id. 1, 105: spes inanes et velut somnia quaedam vigilantium,Quint. 6, 2, 30: exposui fere non philosophorum judicia, sed delirantium somnia, Cic. N. D. 1, 16, 42: Chrysippus Stoicorum somniorum vaferrimus interpres,id. ib. 1, 15, 39: leviter curare videtur, Quo promissa cadant et somnia Pythagorea,Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 52.
* Poet.: Somnus, tibi somnia tristia portans,i. e. fatal sleep,Verg. A. 5, 840.