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The shade of your trees, overhanging, damages my property. And your son came to my field. Stop it, or he is witnessed to do this.” Thus departed the ox, the son, the garden. This is tyranny. And if a clever man is wicked, The fabrication is more persuasive. He restrains others (taking the guise of a protector), from doing some evil, and enslaves them while protecting them. Then he feasts, like a lion on some animal having chased away the beasts, he does not act philanthropically, But he has the prey for himself most easily. Why do you toil? It is simple, be content with what you have. But of immeasurable possession there is great toil, Battles, lawsuits, sophistries, perjuries 861 If nothing else, worries, like shadows? To these they always add something belonging to another. Not even if you had an equal place at table, were you insatiable, and a burden to your fellow-diners, stuffing yourself immoderately with your hands from everything, did they praise you? Certainly not for your possessions? Since insatiability is everywhere to be loathed. But it does not seem so to you, with your mind buried. For one thing exists, another you desire, another you have hoped for; And for this there are go-betweens and pimps, just as there are others for the sickness of the body. You worship gold. And the garment, food for moths, is buried away. And your granaries are always 862 Full. You make a market of hardships. Some groan, but others have hopes. For hope is a light thing, a daydream. Some you seal up, others you open opportunely; Just as, I suppose, the circumstances may flow. Alas, alas, you collect the misfortunes of the poor, reaping a harvest from another’s misery, making their hardship another field! Who are you to do these things, and from whom are you sprung? And where does your confidence come from? You, whom this present night will perhaps hold as a corpse, snatching you away from the midst of your desires. How terrible it is, while others give everything lavishly, bodies, possessions, to God, 863 from whom are all things, that you should seek to have more. So that you may receive what? Terrible treasures, a pompous table, and for the sake of a narrow throat, into which all your cares run together, a swelling of the belly, and the sickness of satiety (for these are the offspring of gluttony), superfluous houses, and mostly empty, with gilded ceilings, and gleaming with marble slabs, boys adorned with the beauty of women, canopies, wine-coolers, drunken revels, and choruses and unified applause, by which the beauty of the image is corrupted, to be puffed up, brilliant and greatest in the city, holding your head high, and boasting in the power of thrones, 864 Thrones, the wrestling-ground of envy and tyranny. For one does not allow another to be proud, surpassing him and being more exultant, like successive lairs of a serpent. Well then; what is left for you of precious things, the daintiness of women in gems and gold, and in braided tresses and foreign locks? And bonds for hands and feet, a pleasing weight, from which beauty is not well pursued, cultivated to please many men? What else? To leave behind wealthy children perhaps, and supervisors of their father's insolence? There would be something in this, if hopes met with success. But now one does not even know into what dust he will be dissolved, 865 Nor where the harm of the possession will end up. You toil long, and perhaps you lie awake, joining nights to days in anxieties, so that the distress is greater than the pleasure; You carve out interest and feed interest with interest, and on your fingers you always carry the interest. These things are not kept for you, nor for those for whom you hoped; But it is for whom it is, perhaps even for strangers. It would have been welcome; but now perhaps even for enemies, who accuse you and your fine things, whom you never thought worthy even of a fragment. Perhaps one of these who have suffered ill, who watered you with a salty drink, and your house, in wailings and tears, 866 This man will be nourished on the toils of others, a rooster both fat and looking up, not praising much of what is now established; who will not even break bread, as it happens, with your heir of empty phantoms. In addition to these things, if you consider anything, take it. Torture, compel, leave no evil undone, let the depths of land and sea be searched out. Comb, as they say, even the hair of the dead, sacrifice to your net, worship your right hand, which has gathered so much gold for you. Make all things inferior to acquiring, enemies, and friends, and kinsmen,

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δίνδρων σκιὰ Ὑπερκύπτουσα τοῖς ἐμοῖς λυμαίνεται. Ὁ παῖς δέ σου προσῆλθε τῷ 'μῷ χωρίῳ. Ἐπίσχες, ἢ τοῦτο δράσειν μαρτύρεται.» Οὕτως ἀπῆλθε βοῦς, ὁ παῖς, τὸ κηπίον. Ταῦθ' ἡ τυραννίς. Ἂν δὲ καὶ σοφὸς κακὸς Τύχῃ τις ὢν, τὸ πλάσμα πειθανώτερον. Ἄλλους ἀνείργει (σχῆμα προστάτου λαβὼν), Ποιεῖν κακόν τι, καὶ σκέπει δουλούμενος. Ἔπειτα θοινᾶθ', ὡς λέων ζώου τινὸς Θῆρας διώξας, οὐ φιλανθρωπεύεται, Ἀλλ' αὐτὸς αὑτῷ θήραν ὡς ῥᾴστην ἔχει. Τί κάμνεθ'; ἀπλοῦν ἐστιν, ἀρκεῖσθ' οἷς ἔχεις. Τῆς δ' οὐ μετρητῆς κτήσεως μέγας πόνος, Μάχαι, δίκαι, σοφίσμαθ', αἱ ψευδορκίαι 861 Εἰ μηδὲν ἄλλο, φροντίδες, ὥσπερ ζόφοι; Τούτοις ἀεί τι προσφέρουσ' ἀλλότριον. Οὐδ', εἰ τραπέζης ἀξίωμ' ἔχων ἴσον, Ἄπληστος ἦσθα, καὶ βαρὺς τοῖς συμπόταις, Πάντων ἀμέτρως χερσὶν ἐμφορούμενος, Ἐπῄνεσάν σε; Μή τι δὴ τῆς κτήσεως; Ὡς τό γ' ἄπληστον πανταχοῦ βδελυκτέον Σοὶ δ' οὐχὶ φαίνετ' ἐγκεχωσμένῳ φρένας. Τὸ μὲν γὰρ ἔστι, τοῦ δ' ἐρᾷς, τὸ δ' ἤλπισας· Τοῦ δ' εἰσὶν οἱ προμνήστορες καὶ μαστροποὶ, Ὥς εἰσιν ἄλλοι τῆς νόσου τῶν σωμάτων. Σέβεις δὲ χρυσόν. Ἡ δὲ σητῶν βρώματα Ἐσθὴς τέθαπται. Τῶν δὲ σιτώνων ἀεὶ 862 Πλήρης. Καπηλεύεις δὲ τὰς ἀκαιρίας. Οἱ μὲν στένουσι, τοὺς δ' ἔχουσιν ἐλπίδες. Κοῦφον γάρ ἐστιν ἐλπὶς ἡμέρας ὄναρ. Τοὺς μὲν σφραγίζεις, τοὺς δ' ἀνοίγεις εὐστόχως· Ὅπως δ' ἂν, οἶμαι, καὶ τὰ τοῦ καιροῦ ῥέῃ. Φεῦ, φεῦ, πενήτων συλλέγεις τὰς συμφορὰς, Ἀλλοτρίαν κάκωσιν ἐκκαρπούμενος, Ἄλλην ἄρουραν τὸ στενὸν ποιούμενος! Τίς ταῦτα, κἀκ τίνων σύ; καὶ θαῤῥῶν πόθεν; Ὃν ἡ παροῦσα νὺξ ἴσως ἕξει νεκρὸν, Μέσων ἀναρπάξασα τῶν ποθουμένων. Ὡς ἔστι δεινὸν, καὶ τὰ πάντα πλουσίως Ἄλλων διδόντων, σώματ', οὐσίας, Θεῷ 863 Παρ' οὗ τὰ πάντα, σὲ ζητεῖν ἔχειν δέον. Ὡς ἂν λάβῃς τί; δεινὰ θησαυρίσματα, Ὄγκον τραπέζης, καὶ στενοῦ λαιμοῦ χάριν, Εἰς ὃν τὰ πάντα συντρέχει φροντίσματα, Οἴδημα γαστρὸς, τὴν κόρου τ' ἀῤῥωστίαν (Οὗτοι γάρ εἰσιν οἱ τόκοι τῆς πλησμονῆς), Οἴκους περιττοὺς, καὶ κενοὺς τῷ πλείονι, Χρυσωρόφους τε, πλαξί τε στιλβομένους, Παῖδας γυναικῶν εἴδεσι κοσμουμένους, Σκιάσματα, ψυκτῆρας, ἐκμεθύσματα, Συνῳδίας τε καὶ κρότους ὁμοῤῥόθους, Ὑφ' ὧν τὸ κάλλος φθείρεται τῆς εἰκόνος, Λαμπρὸν φυσᾶσθαι καὶ μέγιστον ἐν πόλει Ὑψαυχενοῦντα, καὶ θρόνων αὐχεῖν κράτος, 864 Θρόνους, φθόνου πάλαισμα καὶ τυραννίδος. Ἄλλος γὰρ ἄλλον οὐκ ἐᾷ φρονεῖν μέγα, Ὑπερφέρων τε καὶ πλέον γαυρούμενος, Ὥσπερ δράκοντος ἐπιῤῥέουσαι φωλίδες. Εἶεν· τί λοιπὸν ἔστι σοι τῶν τιμίων, Θρύψις γυναικῶν ἐν λίθοις καὶ χρυσίῳ, ∆ιαπλόκοις τε καὶ πλοκῆς ἀλλοτρίοις; ∆εσμοί τε χειρῶν καὶ ποδῶν, τερπνὸν βάρος, Ἐξ ὧν τὸ κάλλος οὐ καλῶς σπουδάζεται, Πολλοῖς ἀρέσκειν ἀῤῥένων ἀσκούμενον; Τί δ' ἄλλο; παῖδας εὐπόρους λιπεῖν ἴσως, Καὶ τῆς πατρῴας ὕβρεως ἐπιστάτας; Ἦν ἄν τι τούτων, εἰ συνήντων ἐλπίδες. Νῦν δ' οὐδὲ χοῦν τις οἶδεν, οἷ λυθήσεται, 865 Οὔθ' οἷ προβήσεθ' ἡ βλάβη τῆς κτήσεως. Σὺ μὲν πονεῖς τε μακρὰ, κἀγρυπνεῖς ἴσως, Νύκτας συνάπτων ἡμέραις ἐν φροντίσιν, Ὡς πλεῖον εἶναι τὸ στενὸν τῆς τέρψεως· Τοκογλυφεῖς τε καὶ τρέφεις τόκοις τόκους, Ἐν δακτύλοις τε τοὺς τόκους ἀεὶ φέρεις. Τάδ' οὔτε σοὶ φυλάσσετ', οὔθ' οἷς ἤλπισας· Ἀλλ' ἔστιν, ὧν πέρ ἐστι, καὶ ξένων τυχόν. Ἀσπαστὸν ἦν ἄν· νῦν δ' ἴσως καὶ δυσμενῶν, Οἵ σου κατηγοροῦσι καὶ τῶν σῶν καλῶν, Οὓς οὔποτ' ἠξίωσας οὐδὲ κλάσματος. Τούτων τυχόν τις τῶν κακῶς πεπονθότων, Ὃς ἦρδεν ἁλμυρῷ σε τῷ ποτίσματι, Οἶκόν τε τὸν σὸν, ἐν γόοις καὶ δάκρυσιν, 866 Οὗτος τραφήσετ' ἐν πόνοις ἀλλοτρίοις, Ἀλεκτρυὼν παχύς τε καὶ βλέπων ἄνω, Πόλλ' οὐκ ἐπαινῶν τῶν γε νῦν τυπουμένων· Ὃς οὐδὲ ἄρτον, εἰ τύχοι, διακλάσει Τῷ κληρονόμῳ σου τῶν κενῶν φαντασμάτων. Πρὸς ταῦτα, εἴ τι περινοεῖς, προσλάμβανε. Στρέβλου, βιάζου, μηδὲν ἐλλείπῃς κακὸν, Γῆς καὶ θαλάσσης ἐξερευνάσθω βάθη. Ξέειν', ὃ δὴ λέγουσι, καὶ νεκρῶν τρίχας, Θύειν σαγήνῃ, προσκυνεῖν τὴν δεξιὰν, Ἥ σοι τοσοῦτον χρυσίον συνήγαγεν. Ἅπαντα ποιοῦ τοῦ λαβεῖν κατώτερα, Ἐχθροὺς, φίλους τε, συγγενεῖς,