152 Ulysses Aldrovandi

indeed, that if a woman who has a husband and children dreams of being transformed into a man, it signifies she will soon become a widow and take on her husband's role. If she lacks children, she will give birth to sons; if she is a maiden, she will soon celebrate her marriage. Conversely, if a man—especially a prince or ruler—observes himself in his sleep degenerating into a woman, it is believed he will be expelled from his position and lose his dignity, as women are subject to the authority of men. Nazarius recounts that seeing a naked man in a dream, pestered by flies and failing to drive them away, denotes a man’s laziness and sloth. A man afflicted by paralysis signifies the effort required for some business. One who appears intoxicated while holding a vessel full of wine designates sleepiness. Another, lacking hands and feet while sitting upon a stout horse, shows idleness. A man carrying a stone upon his head with a veiled face and a chain emerging from his mouth to bind his hands indicates forgetfulness. One with a right foot like an ass, a left like a roe deer, and eagle wings on his shoulders describes slowness. One holding a shattered sky and a hammer without a handle designates negligence. One sitting upon an ape with a club lacking a handle denotes a lack of perseverance. Finally, one whose limbs are divided into many parts shows dissolution; many other such examples can be found in the work cited.

Valerius Maximus also relates that two Arcadians traveling together reached Megara, where one stayed with a host and the other at a common inn. While the one in the host's house slept, his companion appeared to him in a dream, calling for help as he was being set upon by the innkeeper's treachery. Waking up, he rose from bed to seek out the inn, but thinking it a vain dream, he returned to sleep. Again his wounded companion appeared, pleading that since he had failed to help him in life, he should at least not deny him vengeance in death. He revealed that his body, murdered by the innkeeper and covered in dung, was being carried in a wagon to the city gate. Struck by the dream once more, he rose immediately and hurried to the gate, where he found the wagon exactly as described. Having uncovered his companion's murdered body, he brought the innkeeper to trial for his life.

A similar story is told regarding a dream of Galen. When he could not cure a patient suffering from a chronic disease despite applying many remedies, he was finally advised in a dream that opening the vein located between the ring finger and the little finger would provide the greatest relief for the condition. Having been taught this in his sleep, he ordered the vein to be cut the following day. Once the blood was let, the patient recovered shortly thereafter. Generally speaking, when the human body is in its best condition, no other thoughts occupy the minds of the sleeping than the images arising from their daytime activities and daily duties, as Claudian expressed in these verses:

"All the wishes that turn in our minds by day, a friendly rest returns to us by night."

HIEROGLYPHICS

It is clearly established that the Egyptians drew their hieroglyphics from all parts of the human body. Beginning with the upper parts, they called the depiction of a human head the hieroglyphic of the "beginning," since, according to medical doctrine, all senses and nerves originate from the head. Furthermore, common people typically refer to the start of any thing as its "head." Indeed, through the figure of the head, they indicated divinity, as all other limbs are ruled by the head. For this reason, the Egyptians held the head in such reverence that they entirely abstained from eating the heads of animals. The Platonists even taught that the human head was fashioned in the likeness of the celestial sphere and was the most divine member of the body. Moreover, they understood "Sovereignty" through the image of a head bound with a headband or diadem, as dream interpreters predicted that a head seen adorned with a band during sleep was a sign of dominion. A shaved head indicated servitude, while a head with long hair was depicted as a sign of softness among both the Greeks and the Latins. Otherwise, the Egyptians...