The Scythian or Consul (37)

It seems to me, Lycinus, that you do not understand what I mean.

Then you must speak more clearly, if your argument is to be different from what I say.

You will learn at once what I mean. Let us suppose that two persons have entered the Asclepieum or the sanctuary of Dionysus, and that subsequently one of the sacred chalices is missing. It will without doubt be necessary to search both of them to find out which one of the two has the chalice in his clothing.

Very true.

One of them surely has it.

Of course, if it has disappeared.

And if you discover it on the first, you will not strip the other. It will be quite clear that he has not got it.

Quite clear.

And if we were not to find it in the first one’s clothing, the second man surely has it, and there is in this case too no need of a search.

Yes, he has it.

So too in our case. Suppose we find the chalice already in the hands of the Stoics, we shall not bother to search the others, since we have what we have