In the brief but compressed work Scipio travels through the planetary spheres. Digressions upon cosmology, dream-interpretation, prophecy, time-cycles, geography and doctrine upon the nature of the soul are included in it and it advances Pythagorean thought and the idea of the Music of the Spheres. It was studied by the Roman philosopher Macrobius (395 - 423); his Commentary upon Scipio's Dream was valued throughout the Middle Ages. The Dream of Scipio was known to the early Christian era philosopher Boethius. Chaucer was also acquainted with it.
The sixteen-year old composer Mozart wrote a short opera entitled Il sogno di Scipione (K126) based upon Scipio's inter-planetary journey through the cosmos.