The Dream of Scipio

Cicero, in his De Res Publica, justifies the work of so many to create the Roman Empire through a story. The story is of how the General Scipio (I want to say Africanus) had a dream where he was above the world, and could hear the music of the planets and stars. He saw how, in the grand scheme of things, the Romans had achieved very little. All the same, he was aware that Rome, for all her children had sacrificed to build her, was dear to the gods.
So it is important to remember that even if we feel discouraged, we must continue to try to , as Aristotle urges, strain every nerve to live according to what's best in us.