Juppiter Tragoedus

Zeus Hera, Timokles the Stoic and Damis the Epicurean held a discussion yesterday on the doctrine of providence. I do not know how the question arose, but the audience was large and respectable, and that, to my mind, was the most annoying feature of the affair. Damis denied that the gods exist or have any hand whatever in the ordering and administration of the world. But the worthy Timokles strove to defend our side, and just then a crowd of people streamed in, so that the meeting came to no decision, but dissolved,

agreeing to consider the rest of the question later. And now they are all on tiptoe with eagerness to hear which of the orators will prevail and be adjudged to set forth the truer cause. Do you see the danger and the strait we are in, since our cause stands or falls with a single man? One of two things will happen: either we shall be deemed mere names, and so of course disregarded, or else, if Timokles prove the better speaker, we shall be honored as heretofore.