3. Van Winden's felicitous translation of ejn ajmhcaniva/dev mou o[nto".
st. justin martyr him and turned to a Peripatetic who considered himself an astute teacher. After a few days with him, he demanded that we settle the matter of my tuition fee in such a way that our association would not be unprofitable to him. Accordingly, I left him, because I did not consider him a real philosopher.
4. "Since my spirit still yearned to hear the specific and excellent meaning of philosophy, I approached a very famous
Pythagorean, who took great pride in his own wisdom. In my interview with him, when I expressed a desire to become his pupil, he asked me, 'What? Do you know music, astronomy, and geometry? How do you expect to comprehend any of those things that are conducive to happiness, if you are not first well acquainted with those studies which draw your mind away from objects of the senses and render it fit for the intellectual, in order that it may contemplate what is good and beautiful?'
5. "He continued to speak at great length in praise of those sciences, and of the necessity of knowing them, until I admitted that I knew nothing about them; then he dismissed me. As was to be expected, I was downcast to see my hopes shattered, especially since I respected him as a man of considerable knowledge. But, when I reflected on the length of time that I would have to spend on those sciences, I could not make up my mind to wait such a long time.
6. "At my wit's end,3 it occurred to me to consult the Platonists,4 whose reputation was great. Thus it happened that I spent as much time as possible in the company of a wise man who was highly esteemed by the Platonists and who had but recently arrived in our city.5 Under him I forged ahead in philosophy and day by day I improved. The perception of incorporeal things quite overwhelmed me and the Platonic theory of ideas added wings to my mind,6 so that in a short time I imagined myself a Copyright © 2003. Catholic University of America Press. All rights reserved.
3. Van Winden's felicitous translation of ejn ajmhcaniva/ dev mou o[nto".
4. On Platonism see new Introduction, n 5.
5. Probably Ephesus. Others think it might be Flavia Neapolis (Nablus), the city of his birth, or even the city of Alexandria. For Nablus see Jerome MurphyO'Connor, The Holy Land, 4th ed. (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1998),
372–73.
6. A Platonic expression. See Phaedrus 249D. On Platonism see new Introduction, n 5.
Justin, Martyr, Saint. Dialogue with Trypho (Selections from the Fathers of the Church, Volume 3), edited by Michael Slusser, Catholic University of America Press, 2003. ProQuest Ebook Central, http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/nottingham/de
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