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Pythagoras. Rejoice in those who reprove you more than in those who flatter you; and turn away from flatterers as from those worse than enemies.

Socrates. The goodwill of flatterers, as if in a rout, flees from misfortunes. Philo. Turn away from the deceitful words of flatterers.

For by dulling the soul's reasonings, they do not permit one [to see] the truth of things. For they either praise things worthy of blame, or they often blame things better than praises.

From Sotion's On Anger. Dolphins swim along with swimmers up to the rough water; but they do not run aground on the dry land. Thus flatterers wait about in fair weather, and when sending friends off on a journey, they accompany them as far as the smooth road; but when they come to a rough part, they depart.

Photion. Photion used to say to Antipater: You cannot use me as both a friend and a flatterer.

DISCOURSE 12. On wealth, and poverty, and avarice. 15Ε_118 Matt. 19. It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle

than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven. 1 Tim. 6. Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded,

nor trust in (793) uncertain riches, but in God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy.

James 20. Wealth unjustly gathered will be vomited up. Prov. 19. Better is a righteous poor man than a rich liar. Eccl. 10. All things will obey money. Sirach 31. The sleeplessness of wealth will waste away the flesh, and the care of it removes

sleep. Sirach 33. When a rich man has stumbled, many are his supporters; he has spoken unspeakable things,

and they have justified him. The rich man spoke, and all were silent, and they extolled his speech up to

the clouds. Basil. Poverty with truth, for the temperate

is more to be preferred than any enjoyment. It is not being poor that is shameful, but not bearing poverty with good grace. For a mind preoccupied with avarice is a balance inclining toward the heavy side of the

standard. 15Ε_120 The Theologian. Nothing is safer than a poor man. He inclines toward God, and looks to Him alone. May wealth perish, if it does not help the poor; Poverty is better than unjust acquisition, And sickness is better than ill-gotten well-being. It is terrible to be poor, but worse to be wealthy through evil means. Chrysostom. Oh, what a great dignity poverty has! It becomes the mask of God. God is hidden

in poverty; and a poor man, is the one who holds out his hand; but God, is the one who receives.

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Πυθαγόρ. Χαῖρε τοῖς ἐλέγχουσί σε μᾶλλον, ἤ τοῖς κολακεύουσιν· ὡς δ᾿ ἐχθρῶν χείρονας ἐκτρέπου τούς κολακεύοντας.

Σωκράτης. Ἡ τῶν κολάκων εὔνοια καθάπερ ἐκ τροπῆς, φεύγει τάς ἀτυχίας. Φίλωνος. Ἀποστρέφου τῶν κολάκων τούς ἀπατηλούς λόγους.

Ἐξαμβλύνοντες γάρ τούς τῆς ψυχῆς λογισμούς, οὐ συγχωροῦσι [ἰδεῖν] τῶν πραγμάτων τήν ἀλήθειαν. Ἤ γάρ ἐπαινοῦσι τά ψόγου ἄξια, ἤ ψέγουσι πολλάκις τά ἐπαίνων κρείττονα.

Σωτιώνου ἐκ τοῦ περί ὀργῆς. Οἱ δελφῖνες μέχρι τοῦ κλύδωνος συνδιανήχονται τοῖς κολυμβῶσι· πρός δέ τό ξηρόν οὐκ ἐξοκείλουσι· οὕτως οἱ κόλακες ἐν εὐδίᾳ περιμένουσι, καί τούς φίλους εἰς ἀποδημίαν προπέμποντες μέχρι τῆς λείας συμπαρακολουθοῦσιν· ἐπειδάν δέ εἰς τραχεῖαν ἔλθωσιν, ἀπίασιν.

Φωτίων. Φωτίων εἰώθει λέγειν πρός Ἀντίπατρον· Οὐ δύνασαί μοι καί φίλῳ καί κόλακι χρήσασθαι.

ΛΟΓΟΣ ΙΒ´. Περί πλούτου, καί πενίας, καί φιλαργυρίας. 15Ε_118 Ματθ. ιθ´. Εὐκοπώτερόν ἐστι κάμηλον διά τρυπήματος ῥαφίδος

διελθεῖν, ἤ πλούσιον εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τήν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν. Α´ Τιμ. στ΄. Τοῖς πλουσίοις ἐν τῷ νῦν αἰῶνι παράγγελλε μή ὑψηλοφρονεῖν,

μηδέ ἠλπικέναι ἐπί (793) πλούτου ἀδηλότητι, ἐλλ' ἐπί τῷ Θεῷ, τῷ παρέχοντι ἡμῖν πάντα πλουσίως εἰς ἀπόλαυσιν.

Ἰακώβ κ´.Πλοῦτος ἀδίκως συναγόμενος ἐξεμεθήσεται. Παροιμ. ιθ´. Κρεῖσσον πτωχός δίκαιος, ἤ πλούσιος ψεύστης. Ἐκκλη. ι´. Τῷ ἀργυρίῳ ὑπακούσεται τά σύμπαντα. Σιράχ λα´. Ἀγρυπνία πλούτου ἐκτήσει σάρκας, καί ἡ μέριμνα αὐτοῦ ἀφιστᾷ

ὕπνον. Σιράχ λγ´. Πλούτου σφαλέντος πολλοί ἀντιλήπτορες · ἐλάλησεν ἀπόῤῥητα,

καί ἐδικαίωσαν αὐτόν. Πλούσιος ἐλάλησε, καί πάντες ἐσίγησαν, καί τόν λόγον αὐτοῦ ἀνύψωσαν ἕως

τῶν νεφελῶν. Βασιλ. Πενία μετ᾿ ἀληθείας, πάσης ἀπολαύσεως τοῖς σωφρονοῦσι

προτιμοτέρα. Οὐ τό πένεσθαι ἐπονείδιστον, ἀλλά τό μή φέρειν εὐγνωμόνως τήν πενίαν. Λογισμός γάρ φυλαργυρίᾳ προειλημμένος, τρυτάνη ἐστίν ἐπί τό βαρύ τοῦ

κανόνος τήν ῥοπήν καταφέρουσα. 15Ε_120 Θεολόγου. Πένητος ἀνδρός οὐδέν ἀσφαλέστερον. Πρός τόν Θεόν νένευκε, καί μόνον βλέπει. Ὡς ἀπόλοιτο πλοῦτος, εἰ μή βοηθεῖ πένησιν· Κρεῖσσον πενία, μή δικαίας κτήσεως, Καί γάρ νόσος γε, τῆς κακῆς εὐεξίας. ∆εινόν πένεσθαι, χεῖρον δ' εὐπορεῖν κακῶς. Χρυσόστ. Ὦ πηλίκον ἀξίωμα τῆς πενίας. Θεοῦ γίνεται προσωπεῖον. Κρύπτεται

ἐν πενίᾳ Θεός· καί πένης μέν, ὁ τήν χεῖρα προτείνων· Θεός δέ, ὁ δεχόμενος.