Meeting Trypho
One morning, while I was walking along the paths of the Xystus, a man accompanied by several others met me and said, “Greetings, philosopher!” Immediately afterward, he turned and walked beside me, and his friends followed.
I greeted him in return and asked, “What brings you here?”
“Corinthus the Socratic, in Argos, taught me not to despise or disregard people who wear this clothing,” he replied. “Instead, I should show them every kindness and spend time with them. Perhaps our conversation might benefit either such a person or me. Besides, it is good for both if either one benefits. That is why I gladly approach anyone I see dressed this way, and why I have willingly approached you now. These men accompany me because they hope to hear something useful from you themselves.”
“But who are you, most excellent man?” I replied jokingly.
He freely told me both his name and his family background. “My name is Trypho,” he said. “I am a circumcised Hebrew. Having escaped the war recently fought there, I am now living in Greece, chiefly at Corinth.”
“In what way,” I asked, “could philosophy benefit you as much as your own lawgiver and the prophets?”
“Why should it not?” he replied. “Do philosophers not direct every discussion toward God? Do questions about His unity and providence not constantly arise among them? Is investigating the Deity not the true task of philosophy?”
“Certainly,” I said. “We too have believed that. But most have given no thought to whether there is one god or more, or whether they care for each of us individually. They act as though this knowledge contributes nothing to our happiness. Indeed, they even try to persuade us that God cares for the universe, with its genera and species, but not for you and me and each individual. Otherwise, they argue, we surely would not need to pray to Him night and day.
“The result is easy to understand. Those who hold these opinions become fearless and unrestricted in their speech. They do and say whatever they please, neither fearing punishment nor hoping for any benefit from God. How could they? They maintain that the same things will always happen, and that you and I will live again in the same way, having become neither better nor worse.
“Others suppose that the soul is immortal and immaterial. They believe that even if they have done evil, they will suffer no punishment, because what is immaterial cannot feel anything. They also believe that, because of its immortality, the soul needs nothing from God.”
Smiling gently, he said, “Tell us your opinion about these matters, what you think about God, and what your philosophy is.”
