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For just as in bodies, inflammation, and from inflammation a fever is born, then often death from there; so also from an excess of things and from an excess of wealth, recklessness is produced. For just as inflammation is in bodies, so also is recklessness in the soul. Then from recklessness, a desire for things that are not fitting is accustomed to follow.

Gregory of Nyssa. To have a few things well is much more precious, than to have many things badly. No one ever has a surfeit of gaining; but what is always being received, becomes the material and fuel for the desire of more.

Gold is a heavy thing; but virtue is a light and upward-bearing thing. If then it is necessary to ascend to the things above, let us be poor in things that weigh down [drag down], so that we may be above in the heavens.

The beauty of wealth is not in purses, but in the assistance of those in need. 796 Philo. The desires for money and possessions the times

consume; but to be sparing of time, is a good thing. Give greater and more earnest care to those who for the sake of virtue and

godliness have become poor, or are in poverty; and likewise also in other ways to those who are in want from diseases and misfortunes, rather than those who have become poor from wrongdoing or profligacy.

15Ε_122 Nilus. Do not wish to be rich for the sake of loving the poor; for from

what one has God legislates the just thing, which is to show mercy. Plutarch. In war for the sake of security, iron is better than gold; but in

living, reason is better than wealth. Neither a horse without a bridle, nor wealth without reason, can one safely

use. Neither a symposium without conversation, nor wealth without virtue has pleasure. The life of the avaricious resembles a dinner for a corpse. For though having everything, the

one who will rejoice it does not have. Neither from a corpse should one seek conversation, nor from a miser a favor. Bees come sooner to the perception of honey; but misers, to gain.

The desire for money for the sake of gain is a slaughter for the miser; whence the removal of money, like that of blood, brings death to him.

Some people prepare throughout life the things for life, as if they are going to live after life.

He used to say that the rich and insatiable resemble those with dropsy; for the latter, being filled with water, are thirsty, and the former, with money.

A horse would not be judged noble for having expensive tack; but the one splendid by nature; nor a man worthy who has possessed a valuable estate, but the one noble in soul.

Despise those who are earnest about wealth, but are not able to use what they possess. For such men suffer something similar, as if someone should acquire a fine horse, knowing how to ride badly.

Consider great-minded, not those who take on more, 15Ε_124 than they are able to manage, but those who aim at moderate things, but are able to accomplish whatever they attempt.

Aristotle. Poverty is in need of many things; but insatiability, of everything. Never call a man blessed for wealth and glory; for all such

goods are bound by a lesser trustworthiness.

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Ὥσπερ γάρ ἐπί τῶν σωμάτων φλεγμονή, ἐκ δέ φλεγμονῆς τίκτεται πυρετός, εἶτα θάνατος ἐκεῖθεν πολλάκις· οὕτω καί ἀπό τῆς τῶν πραγμάτων καί ἀπό τῆς τοῦ πλούτου ὑπερβολῆς, ἀπόνοια γίνεται. Ὥσπερ γάρ ἐπί τῶν σωμάτων φλεγμονή, οὕτω καί ἐπί τῆς ψυχῆς ἀπόνοια. Εἶτα ἐξ ἀπονοίας ἐπιθυμία τῶν οὐ προσηκόντων ἐπακολουθεῖν εἴωθεν.

Γρηγ. Νύσσης. Τό καλῶς ἔχειν ὀλίγα πολύ τιμιώτερον, τοῦ κακῶς ἔχειν πολλά. Οὐδείς ποτε, τοῦ κερδαίνειν γίνεται κόρος· ἀλλά τό ἀεί λαμβανόμενον, ὕλη καί ὑπέκκαυμα τῆς τοῦ πλείονος ἐπιθυμίας καθίσταται.

Βαρύ χρῆμα τό χρυσίον ἐστί· κοῦφον δέ καί ἀνωφερές πρᾶγμα ἡ ἀρετή. Εἰ οὖν χρή τῶν ἄνω προσβαίνειν, τῶν κατελθόντων [καθελκ.] πτωχεύσωμεν, ἵνα ἐν οὐρανοῖς ἄνω γινώμεθα.

Πλούτου κάλλος οὐκ ἐν βαλαντίοις, ἀλλ᾿ ἐν τῇ τῶν χρηζόντων ἐπικουρίᾳ. 796 Φίλων. Αἱ μέν χρημάτων καί κτημάτων ἐπιθυμίαι τούς χρόνους

ἀναλίσκουσι· χρόνου δέ φείδεσθαι, καλόν. Μείζονα καί σπουδαιοτέραν ἐπιμέλειαν ποιοῦ εἰς τούς δι᾿ ἀρετήν καί

θεοσέβειαν πτωχεύσαντας, ἤ πενομένους· ἄλλως τε ὁμοίως καί εἰς τούς ἐκ νόσων καί συμπτωμάτων ἀποροῦντας, παρά τούς ἐκ κακοπραγμονίας ἤ ἀσωτίας πτωχεύσαντας.

15Ε_122 Νείλου. Μή βούλου πλουτεῖν φιλοπτωχείας ἕνεκα· ἀπό γάρ τῶν

ὄντων τοῦ ἐλεεῖν ὁ Θεός νομοθετεῖ τό δίκαιον. Πλουτάρχ. Ἐν πολέμῳ μέν πρός ἀσφάλειαν σίδηρος χρυσοῦ κρείσσων· ἐν δέ

τῷ ζῇν, ὁ λόγος τοῦ πλούτου. Οὔτε ἵππῳ χωρίς χαλινοῦ, οὔτε πλούτῳ χωρίς λογισμοῦ, δυνατόν ἀσφαλῶς

χρήσασθαι. Οὔτε συμπόσιον ἄνευ ὁμιλίας, οὔτε πλοῦτος χωρίς ἀρετῆς ἡδονήν ἔχει. Ἔοικεν ὁ τῶν φιλαργύρων βίος νεκροῦ δείπνῳ. Πάντα γάρ ἔχων, τόν

εὐφρανθησόμενον οὐκ ἔχει. Οὔτε παρά νεκροῦ ὁμιλίαν, οὔτε παρά φιλαργύρου δεῖ χάριν ἐπιζητεῖν. Τοῦ μέλιτος μέλιτται τάχιον ἔρχονται ἐπ᾿ αἴσθησιν· τοῦ κέρδους δέ, οἱ φιλάργυροι.

Σφαγή ἐστι τοῦ φιλαργύρου ἡ τοῦ χρήματος ἡ πρός τό κέρδος ἐπιθυμία· ὅθεν ἡ τοῦ χρήματος ἀφαίρεσις, ὥσπερ αἵματος, ἐπιφέρει τόν θάνατον αὐτῷ.

Ἑτοιμάζονταί τινες διά τοῦ βίου τά πρός τόν βίον, ὡς βιωσόμενοι μετά τόν βίον.

Τούς πλουσίους δέ καί ἀπλήστους ὑδρωπιῶσιν ἐοικέναι ἔλεγεν· οἱ μέν γάρ πεπλησμένοι ὑδάτων διψῶσιν, οἱ δέ χρημάτων.

Οὔτε ἵππος εὐγενής κρίνοιτ᾿ ἄν πολυτελῆς σκευήν ἔχων· ἀλλ᾿ ὁ τῇ φύσει λαμπρός· οὔτε ἀνήρ σπουδαῖος ὁ πολύτιμον οὐσίαν κεκτημένος, ἀλλ᾿ ὁ τήν ψυχήν γενναῖος.

Καταφρόνει τῶν περί τόν πλοῦτον σπουδαζόντων, χρῆσθαι δέ τοῖς ὑπάρχουσι μή δυναμένων. Παραπλήσιον γάρ οἱ τοιοῦτοι πάχουσιν, ὡσπερ ἄν εἴ τις ἵππον κτήσαιτο καλόν, κακῶς ἱππεύειν ἐπιστάμενος.

Μεγαλόφρονας νόμιζε, μή τούς μείζονα περιβαλλομένους, 15Ε_124 ὧν οἷοί τέ εἰσι κατασχεῖν, ἀλλά τούς μετρίων μέν ἐφιεμένους, ἐργάζεσθαι δέ δυναμένους, οἷς ἄν ἐπιχειρῶσι.

Ἀριστοτέλ.Ἡ πενία πολλῶν ἐστιν ἐνδεής· ἡ δέ ἀπληστία πάντων. Μηδέποτε μακαρίσεις ἄνθρωπον ἐπί πλούτῳ καί δόξῃ· πάντα γάρ τά τοιαῦτα

τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἐλάττονι πίστει δέδεται.