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Aristippus, shall I say the most pleasant one? And what of the charming Speusippus, as I suppose? The one lived the life of an unfortunate retailer, Bailing out maritime toils with profits; Oil was his cargo. Perhaps you will not yet 703 call this insatiable, and you attribute something to poverty. But for Plato to prostrate himself before the tables of tyrants; alas for his words and solemn labors! I omit to speak of the sale and not the sale, unless some Libyan appeared better than Plato of Greece, and for a small price buys both the glory and the words of Plato. As for the man from Cyrene, his frankness of speech was a great thing; yet he mixed luxury with his freedom, harming the good with his pungent doctrine. For smelling of perfumes, he breathed them over his fellow drinkers; and the pleasant and talkative part of his character he had as a guide for his income. Thus once 704 a woman's robe, from Archelaus the wise, I know not how nor for what reason, being offered as a gift, Plato did not accept it, reciting a fitting iambic line from Euripides: "I could not put on a woman's robe." But he, when the gift came into his hands, brought by a man, both takes it eagerly, and strikes the elegance of the iambic with an iambic, saying this: "For even in Bacchic revels, she who is chaste will not be corrupted." And this same Archelaus, as they say, once when Sophocles wanted to receive something, gives it to Euripides, the most wise, 705 saying this much: "You seem to me worthy to ask, but Euripides to receive;" showing what is best in a noble character. And he, the son of Lysimachus, having once arranged the revenues for the Greeks, and having appeared among the first in other matters, both in public leadership and in military commands, was seen to be so superior to money, that (the fact that he got his name from his action, being both just and still so called, I will willingly pass over) the city, giving his daughters in marriage, honors his noble poverty with money, and buried him himself, as he had not the means for a burial. I would not pass over the noble deeds of the Romans either, so that I may not rely on ancient examples alone. Fabricius, having conquered Pyrrhus in battle, 706 was a general of exceeding distinction, and in these things he was even more victorious; for when Pyrrhus came to a narrow pass of hopes, he tried to seize the general with talents of gold; but he did not accept it, yet nevertheless made a truce. And when Pyrrhus, as they say, playing peaceful games with him, one of the armed beasts, an elephant both immense and large, which until then was not known to him by sight, he showed him; when its trunk suddenly appeared, he was not frightened, and said this cheerfully: "Neither gold nor beast has captured me." These things are enough, and these beyond measure, as one might say who despises money. Therefore do not accept those ignoble things from 707 the ancient books, my good man, in which you were brought up; let me be called wicked while making a profit. For it is better than to live as a poor man revering the laws of the gods, having sold one's reputation. Do not trace my lineage for me, my barley-cake is my lineage. Money is most valuable to men. Nothing is more wretched than a poor man. And without bronze, Phoebus does not prophesy. There is no man who is happy in all things; for either being noble by nature, he has no livelihood, or being of low birth, he plows a rich field. For how do you call him unfortunate, who is poor, but has a much richer character? To think so badly is truly unfortunate. 708 Therefore flee all these things and those who have said them, or anything else like them in words. And praise these things from among the things wisely said: When you take a profit from a wicked deed, consider that you have a pledge of misfortune. Do not profit from all sides, shaming yourself; to prosper unjustly brings fear. Do not speak of Plutus; I do not admire a god whom even the wickedest man has easily acquired. He is poor, but rich in character. A wise poor man is better than a wicked Midas. Theognis seems to me to talk wide nonsense, preferring cliffs and depths to poverty, and legislating badly for Cyrnus concerning money. 709 And you, Homer, how do you attribute so much to an unstable thing, as to say somewhere in your epics that virtue is a companion of wealth? He says: I said this myself, not holding this view, but laughing at those who wretchedly do. For does it not seem to you that that Odysseus, he of the many trials, having escaped the sea, and appearing as a naked wanderer to the queen, and having shamed by his speech the

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Ἀρίστιππος, τὸν ἥδιστον λέγω; Τί δ' ὁ χαρίεις Σπεύσιππος, ὥσπερ οἴομαι; Ὁ μὲν καπήλου δυστυχοῦς ἔζη βίον, Πόνους διαντλῶν κέρδεσιν θαλαττίους· Ἔλαιον ἦν ὁ φόρτος. Οὔπω τοῦτ' ἴσως 703 Ἐρεῖς ἄπληστον, καὶ πενίᾳ τι προσνέμεις. Τὸ δὲ τραπέζας προσκυνεῖν τυραννικὰς Πλάτωνα· φεῦ λόγων τε καὶ σεμνῶν πόνων! Ἐῶ λέγειν πράσιν τε καὶ οὐχὶ πράσιν, Εἰ μὴ Πλάτωνί τις Λίβυς τῆς Ἑλλάδος Ὤφθη γ' ἀμείνων, καὶ μικροῦ τιμήματος ∆όξαν τε καὶ Πλάτωνος ὠνεῖται λόγους. Τοῦ δ' ἐκ Κυρήνης, μέγα μὲν ἡ παῤῥησία· Ὅμως δ' ἔμιξε τῷ ἐλευθέρῳ τρυφὴν, Βλάπτων τὸ καλὸν ἁλμυρῷ τῷ δόγματι. Μύρων γὰρ ὄζων, συμποτῶν κατέπνεε· Τὸ δ' εὐχάριστον τοῦ τρόπου καὶ στωμύλον Ὁδηγὸν εἶχε λημμάτων. Οὕτω ποτὲ 704 Στολὴν γυναικῶν, Ἀρχελάου τοῦ σοφοῦ, Οὐκ οἶδ' ὅπως τε καὶ δι' ἣν τὴν αἰτίαν, ∆ωρουμένου, Πλάτων μὲν οὐ προσήκατο, Ἴαμβον εἰπὼν καίριον ἐξ Εὐριπίδου· «Οὐκ ἂν δυναίμην θῆλυν ἐνδῦναι στολήν.» Ὁ δ', ὡς τὸ δώρημ' ἦλθεν εἰς αὐτοῦ χέρας, Φέροντος ἀνδρὸς, καὶ προθύμως λαμβάνει, Καὶ τὴν ἰάμβου κομψότητ' ἰαμβίῳ Βάλλει, τόδ' εἰπών· «Καὶ γὰρ ἐν βακχεύμασιν Οὖσ' ἥγε σώφρων, οὐ διαφθαρήσεται.» Ὁ δ' αὐτὸς Ἀρχέλαος, ὥς φασιν, ποτὲ Λαβεῖν θελήσαντός τι τοῦ Σοφοκλέους, Εὐριπίδῃ δίδωσι τῷ σοφωτάτῳ, 705 Τοσαῦτ' ἐπειπών· «Σὺ μὲν ἄξιος δοκεῖς Ζητεῖν ἔμοιγε, λαμβάνειν δ' Εὐριπίδης·» ∆εικνὺς ὅπερ ἄριστον εὐγενὴς τρόπος. Τάξας δὲ τοῖς Ἕλλησι τοὺς πόρους ποτὲ Ὁ Λυσιμάχου, καὶ τἄλλα τῶν πρώτων φανεὶς Ἐν δημαγωγίαις τε καὶ στρατηγίαις, Τοσοῦτον ὤφθη χρημάτων ἀνώτερος, Ὥσθ' (ὅτι μὲν ἔσχε τοὔνομ' ἐκ τῆς πράξεως, ∆ίκαιος ὤν τε καὶ καλούμενος εἰς ἔτι, Ἑκὼν παρήσω) τὰς δὲ παῖδας ἡ πόλις Ἐκδοῦσα τιμᾷ χρήμασι πενίαν καλὴν, Αὐτόν τ' ἔθαψεν, οὐκ ἔχονθ' ὅθεν ταφῇ. Οὐκ ἂν παρέλθοιμ' οὐδὲ τὰ Ῥωμαίων καλὰ Ὡς μὴ παλαιοῖς ἰσχυριζοίμην μόνοις. Πύῤῥου κρατήσας ἐν μάχῃ Φαβρίκιος, 706 Ἦν δὲ στρατηγὸς τῶν περιβλέπτων ἄγαν, Καὶ τοῖσδ' ἐνίκα μᾶλλον· ὡς γὰρ εἰς στενὸν Ὁ Πύῤῥος ἦλθεν ἐλπίδων, ἐπειράθη Χρυσοῦ ταλάντοις τὸν στρατηγὸν ἁρπάσαι· Ὁ δ' οὐκ ἐδέξατ', ἀλλ' ὅμως ἐσπείσατο. Ἐπεὶ δ' ὁ Πύῤῥος, ὡς λέγουσ', εἰρηνικὰ Παίζων πρὸς αὐτὸν, τῶν ἐνόπλων θηρίων Ἕνα τῶν ἐλεφάντων ὑπερφυᾶ τε καὶ μέγαν, Οὔπω κατ' ὄψιν οἱ τέως ἐγνωσμένον, Ἔδειξε· ῥινὸς ὑπερφανείσης ἀθρόως Οὔτ' ἐπτοήθη, καὶ τόδ' εἶπεν ἵλεως· «Οὔ μ' οὔτε χρυσὸς εἷλεν, οὔτε θηρίον.» Ἀρκεῖ τοσαῦτα, καὶ τάδε μέτρου πέρα, Ὡς ἄν τις εἴποι χρημάτων καταφρονῶν. Μήτ' οὖν ἐκεῖνα προσδέχου τὰ μὴ καλὰ 707 Βίβλων παλαιῶν, ὦγαθ', αἷς ἐνετράφης· Ἔα με κερδαίνοντα κεκλῆσθαι κακόν. Κρεῖσσον γὰρ ἢ σέβοντα τοὺς θεῶν νόμους Πένητα ναίειν, δόξαν ἠμποληκότα. Μή μοι γένος γένιζε, μάζα μοι γένος. Τὰ χρήματ' ἀνθρώποισι τιμιώτατα. Πένητος ἀνδρὸς οὐδὲν ἀθλιώτερον. Ἄνευ δὲ χαλκοῦ, Φοῖβος οὐ μαντεύεται. Οὐκ ἔστιν ὅστις πάντ' ἀνὴρ εὐδαιμονεῖ· Ἢ γὰρ πεφυκὼς ἐσθλὸς, οὐκ ἔχει βίον, Ἢ δυσγενὴς ὢν, πλουσίαν ἀροῖ πλάκα. Πῶς γὰρ καλεῖς δυσδαίμονα, τὸν πένητα μὲν, Πολλῷ δ' ἔχοντα πλουσιώτερον τρόπον; ∆ύσδαιμον ὄντως τὸ φρονεῖν οὕτω κακῶς. 708 Ταῦτ' οὖν ἅπαντα φεῦγε τούς τ' εἰρηκότας, Εἴτ' ἄλλο τούτοις ἐμφερές τι ἐν λόγοις. Καὶ ταῦτ' ἐπαίνει τῶν σοφῶς εἰρημένων· Ὅτ' ἐκ πονηροῦ πράγματος κέρδος λάβῃς, Τοῦ δυστυχεῖν νόμιζε ἀῤῥαβῶν' ἔχειν. Μὴ πάντοθεν κέρδαινε, σαυτὸν αἰσχύνων· Τὸ μὴ δικαίως εὐτυχεῖν, ἔχει φόβον. Μὴ Πλοῦτον εἴπῃς, οὐχὶ θαυμάζω θεὸν, Ὃν καὶ κάκιστος ῥᾳδίως ἐκτήσατο. Πένης μέν ἐστι, τὸν τρόπον δὲ πλούσιος. Σοφὸν πένητα μᾶλλον, ἢ Μίδαν κακόν. Ληρεῖ δέ μοι Θέογνις ὡς λῆρον πλατὺν, Κρημνοὺς προτιμῶν τῆς ἀπορίας καὶ βυθοὺς, Κακῶς τε Κύρνῳ νομοθετῶν εἰς χρήματα. 709 Ὅμηρε καὶ σὺ, πῶς τοσοῦτον ἀστάτῳ Πράγματι νέμεις, ὥστε φράσαι που τῶν ἐπῶν, Ὀπηδὸν εἶναι τὴν ἀρετὴν τῶν χρημάτων; Φησίν· Τόδ' εἶπον αὐτὸς, οὐχ οὕτως ἔχων, Γελῶν δὲ τοὺς ἔχοντας οὕτως ἀθλίως. Οὐ γὰρ δοκεῖ σοι τὴν θάλασσαν ἐκφυγὼν Ὀδυσσεὺς ἐκεῖνος, οὗ τὰ πόλλ' ἀθλήματα, Ὀφθεὶς ἀλήτης τῇ βασιλίδι γυμνὸς, Καταιδέσας δὲ τῷ λόγῳ τὴν