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in the face of present need, he dares to take a loan. Then the one is conquered, having submitted to necessity; while the other departs, having secured himself with bonds and sureties. And having received the money, at first he is brilliant and overjoyed, gladdened with another's flower, signaling the change in his life; for his table is lavish, his clothing more expensive, his servants changed to a more splendid appearance, flatterers, drinking companions; countless drones of the house. But as the money flows away, and time, advancing, brings the interest along with it, no nights bring him rest, no day is bright, no sun is pleasant, but he is vexed with life, he hates the days that hasten towards the due date, he fears the months as the fathers of interest. And if he sleeps, he sees the lender in a dream, an evil dream, standing over his head; and if he is awake, his thought and care is the interest. ∆α 29.269 When the lender, it says, and the debtor meet each other, the Lord watches over them both. The one runs after his prey like a dog; the other, like ready game, cowers at the encounter. For being poor takes away his confidence. Both count on their fingers; the one rejoicing at the increase of the interest, the other groaning at the addition of misfortunes. Drink waters from your own vessels; that is, consider your own resources, do not go to another's springs, but from your own streams gather for yourself the consolations of life. Do you have bronze vessels, a garment, a beast of burden, all kinds of furniture? Sell these; agree to give up everything, except for freedom. But I am ashamed to make them public, he says. What then that a little later another will bring them forth, and will auction off your things, and in your sight, selling them cheaply, will dispose of them? Do not go to another's doors. For another's well is truly narrow. It is better to relieve need with small contrivances, than at once, elated by what belongs to others, to be stripped later of all that one possesses together. If then you have the means to repay, why not resolve the present lack from these resources? but if you are without means for the repayment, you are curing one evil with another. Do not accept a lender besieging you. Do not endure being sought out and tracked down like some other wild animal. To borrow is the beginning of falsehood; an occasion for ingratitude, unreasonableness, perjury. The words of one borrowing are different, and different are those of one being asked for repayment. If only I had not met you then, I would have already found the means for release from my need. Did you not put the money in my hand against my will? Your gold is debased with bronze, and your coin is clipped. If then the lender is a friend, do not lose his friendship; if an enemy, do not become subject to the ill-disposed. Having adorned yourself for a little while with what belongs to others, later you will be deprived even of your patrimony. You are poor now, but free. But by borrowing you will not become rich, and you will be deprived of your freedom. The borrower is a slave to the lender, and a hired slave, bearing an unavoidable service. Dogs, when they receive, are tamed; but the lender, when he receives, is provoked. For he does not cease barking, but seeks for more. If you swear, he does not believe; he searches your private affairs, he meddles in your transactions 29.272. If you go out of your chamber, he pulls you to himself and drags you down; if you hide yourself inside, he stands over the house and knocks on the door. He shames you before your wife, insults you before friends, strangles you in the marketplaces; an evil encounter at a festival; he makes your life unlivable. But the need, he says, is great, and there is no other source of money. What then is the benefit of postponing today? For poverty will come upon you again like a good runner, and the same need will be present with an addition. For a loan does not provide a complete release, but a small postponement of helplessness. Today let us suffer the hardships from want, and not put them off until tomorrow. By not borrowing you will likewise be

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πρὸς τὴν παροῦσαν ἀνάγκην, κατατολμᾷ τοῦ δανείσματος. Εἶτα ὁ μὲν ἡττήθη ὑποκύψας τῇ χρείᾳ· ὁ δὲ ἀπέρ χεται, γραμματείοις αὑτὸν καὶ ἐχεγγύοις ἀσφα λισάμενος. Λαβὼν δὲ τὰ χρήματα, τὴν μὲν πρώτην λαμ πρός ἐστι καὶ περιχαρὴς, ἀλλοτρίῳ ἄνθει γεγανωμέ νος, ἐπισημαίνων τῇ μεταβολῇ τοῦ βίου· τράπεζα γὰρ ἀνειμένη, ἐσθὴς πολυτελεστέρα, οἰκέται πρὸς τὸ φαιδρότερον ἐξηλλαγμένοι τῷ σχήματι, κόλακες, συμπόται· κηφῆνες οἴκων μυρίοι· ὡς δὲ τὰ μὲν χρήματα ὑποῤῥεῖ, ὁ δὲ χρόνος προϊὼν τοὺς τόκους ἑαυτῷ συμπροάγει, οὐ νύκτες ἐκείνῳ ἀνάπαυσιν φέ ρουσιν, οὐχ ἡμέρα φαιδρὰ, οὐχ ἥλιος τερπνὸς, ἀλλὰ δυσχεραίνει τὸν βίον, μισεῖ τὰς ἡμέρας πρὸς τὴν προθεσμίαν ἐπειγομένας, φοβεῖται τοὺς μῆνας ὡς τό κων πατέρας, Κἂν καθεύδῃ, ἐνύπνιον βλέπει τὸν δανειστὴν, κακὸν ὄναρ, τῇ κεφαλῇ περιστάμενον· κἂν γρηγορῇ, ἔννοια αὐτῷ καὶ φροντὶς ὁ τόκος ἐστί· ∆α 29.269 νειστοῦ, φησὶ, καὶ χρεωφειλέτου ἀπαντησάντων ἀλλήλοις, ἐπισκοπὴν ἀμφοτέρων ποιεῖται ὁ Κύ ριος. Ὁ μὲν ὥσπερ κύων ἐπιτρέχει τῇ ἄγρᾳ· ὁ δὲ ὥσπερ ἕτοιμον θήραμα καταπτήσσει τὴν συντυχίαν. Ἀφαιρεῖται γὰρ αὐτοῦ τὴν παῤῥησίαν τὸ πένεσθαι. Ἀμφοτέροις ἡ ψῆφος ἐπὶ δακτύλων· τοῦ μὲν χαί ροντος ἐπὶ τῇ αὐξήσει τῶν τόκων, τοῦ δὲ στενάζον τος ἐπὶ τῇ προσθήκῃ τῶν συμφορῶν. Πῖνε ὕδατα ἀπὸ σῶν ἀγγείων· τουτέστι, τὰς οἰκείας ἀφορμὰς περισκόπει, μὴ ἐπ' ἀλλοτρίας πηγὰς βάδιζε, ἀλλ' ἐξ οἰκείων λιβάδων σύναγε σεαυτῷ τὰς παραμυθίας τοῦ βίου. Ἔχεις χαλκώματα, ἐσθῆτα, ὑποζύγιον, σκεύη παντοδαπά; ταῦτα ἀπόδου· πάντα προέσθαι κατάδεξαι, πλὴν τῆς ἐλευθερίας. Ἀλλ' αἰσχύνομαι αὐτὰ δημοσιεύειν, φησίν. Τί οὖν ὅτι μικρὸν ὕστερον ἄλλος αὐτὰ προκομίσει, καὶ ἀποκηρύξει τὰ σὰ, καὶ ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς σοῖς ἐπευωνίζων αὐτὰ διαθήσεται; Μὴ βάδιζε ἐπ' ἀλλοτρίας θύρας. Φρέαρ γὰρ τῷ ὄντι στε νὸν τὸ ἀλλότριον. Βέλτιον ταῖς κατὰ μικρὸν ἐπι νοίαις τὴν χρείαν παραμυθήσασθαι, ἢ ἀθρόως, ἐπαρ θέντα τοῖς ἀλλοτρίοις, ὕστερον πάντων ὁμοῦ τῶν προσόντων ἀπογυμνοῦσθαι. Εἰ μὲν οὖν ἔχεις ὅθεν ἀποδῷς, τί οὐχὶ τὴν παροῦσαν ἔνδειαν ἐκ τούτων τῶν ἀφορμῶν διαλύεις; εἰ δὲ ἀπορεῖς πρὸς τὴν ἔκτισιν, κακὸν κακῷ θεραπεύεις. Μὴ δέξῃ πολιορκοῦντά σε δανειστήν. Μὴ ἀνάσχῃ ὥσπερ ἄλλο τι θήραμα ἀναζητεῖσθαι καὶ ἐξιχνεύεσθαι. Ψεύδους ἀρχὴ τὸ δα νείζεσθαι· ἀχαριστίας ἀφορμὴ, ἀγνωμοσύνης, ἐπιορ κίας. Ἄλλα ῥήματα τοῦ δανειζομένου, καὶ ἄλλα τοῦ ἀπαιτουμένου. Εἴθε σοι μὴ ἀπήντησα τότε, ἤδη ἂν εὗρον τὰς ἀφορμὰς πρὸς τὴν ἀπαλλαγὴν τῆς ἀνάγκης. Οὐχὶ δὲ ἄκοντός μου ἐνέβαλες τῇ χειρὶ τὰ χρήματα; Ὑπόχαλκον δέ σου τὸ χρυσίον, καὶ παρα κεκομμένον τὸ νόμισμα. Εἴτε οὖν φίλος ὁ δανείζων, μὴ ζημιωθῇς αὐτοῦ τὴν φιλίαν· εἴτε ἐχθρὸς, μὴ γέ νῃ τῷ δυσμενεῖ ὑποχείριος. Μικρὸν ἐγκαλλωπισάμε νος τοῖς ἀλλοτρίοις, ὕστερον καὶ τῶν πατρῴων ἐκ στήσῃ. Πένης εἶ νῦν, ἀλλ' ἐλεύθερος. ∆ανεισάμενος δὲ οὐδὲ πλουτήσεις, καὶ τὴν ἐλευθερίαν ἀφαιρεθήσῃ. ∆οῦλος τοῦ δεδανεικότος ὁ δανεισάμενος, καὶ δοῦλος μισθοφόρος ἀπαραίτητον φέρων τὴν λειτουργίαν. Οἱ κύνες λαμβάνοντες ἡμεροῦνται· ὁ δὲ δανειστὴς λαμ βάνων προσερεθίζεται. Οὐ γὰρ παύεται ὑλακτῶν, ἀλλὰ τὸ πλέον ἐπιζητεῖ. Ἐὰν ὀμνύῃς, οὐ πι στεύει· ἐρευνᾷ τὰ ἔνδον, τὰ συναλλάγματά σου 29.272 πολυπραγμονεῖ. Ἐὰν προΐῃς τοῦ δωματίου, ἕλκει πρὸς ἑαυτὸν καὶ κατασύρει· ἐὰν ἔνδον σεαυτὸν κατα κρύψῃς, ἐφέστηκε τῇ οἰκίᾳ, καὶ θυροκρουστεῖ. Ἐπὶ γαμετῆς καταισχύνει, ἐπὶ φίλων καθυβρίζει, ἐν ταῖς ἀγοραῖς ἄγχει· κακὸν συνάντημα ἑορτῆς· ἀβίωτόν σοι κατασκευάζει τὸν βίον. Ἀλλὰ μεγάλη, φη σὶν, ἡ ἀνάγκη, καὶ οὐδεὶς πόρος χρημάτων ἕτερος. Τί οὖν τὸ ὄφελος ἐκ τοῦ τὴν σήμερον ὑπερθέσθαι; Πάλιν γὰρ ἥξει σοι ἡ πενία ὥσπερ ἀγαθὸς δρομεὺς, καὶ ἡ αὐτὴ ἀνάγκη μετὰ προσθήκης παρέσται. Τὸ γὰρ δάνος οὐκ ἀπαλλαγὴν παντελῆ, ἀλλὰ μικρὰν ἀναβο λὴν τῆς ἀμηχανίας παρέχεται Σήμερον πάθωμεν τὰ ἐκ τῆς ἐνδείας δυσχερῆ, καὶ μὴ ἀποτιθώμεθα εἰς τὴν αὔριον. Μὴ δανεισάμενος μὲν ὁμοίως ἔσῃ