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When you see someone wealthy undeservedly, do not call him blessed, do not think him enviable, do not condemn the providence of God, do not think that present things are carried along in vain and at random; remember Lazarus and the rich man, how the one had come to the height of abundance and luxury, being cruel and harsh and inhuman and more savage than all dogs; and yet they pitied the poor man and tended to him, not hesitating to touch with their tongue the sores over his whole body; but he did not even share crumbs with him. But that poor man, the truly rich, the truly well-off, fell to the very extremity of poverty, and lacked even necessary food, and struggled with disease and continual hunger. And the one had more than he needed; but the other did not enjoy even a moderate amount; but nevertheless he was not distressed, he did not accuse God, he did not blame Providence. How then is it not absurd, when those who suffer evils themselves thus bless the Master in all things, but you, who stand outside the struggles, blaspheme God on behalf of these things, for which others bear thankfully? For he who suffers terribly, even if he says some burdensome and offensive word, though not as much as another, yet nevertheless he partakes of some lesser pardon; but he who stands outside the terrible things, and for the sake of others destroys his own soul, of what pardon would he be worthy, blaspheming God for these things, for which he who suffered evil gives thanks, and continually praising him does not cease? For why, O man, does wealth seem to you to be eagerly sought? Surely because of the pleasure from banquets, because of the honor and bodyguard from those who serve you on account of it, because of the ability to defend yourself against those who grieve you and to be fearsome to all; for you could not name other reasons, but pleasure and flattery, and fear and vengeance. For wealth is not accustomed to make one wiser or more temperate, not good, not philanthropic, nor to introduce and plant any other part of virtue into the soul. Nor would you be able to say that it is for any of these things that wealth is eagerly sought by you and desired; for not only does it know how to plant or cultivate none of these goods, but even if it finds them already there, it corrupts and hinders them, and some it even uproots and introduces their opposites. But let me not speak about these things; for those who are caught by this disease would not bear to hear, being wholly given to pleasure, and for this very reason having become slaves, when they are accused and convicted at the same time. Is it for this reason then, tell me, that wealth seems to you desirable and something to be fought for, because it nourishes the most difficult passions in you, leading anger out into action, and raising the bubbles of vainglory to a greater bulk, and stirring you up to recklessness? 63.638 For these reasons, then, one must especially flee it 63.638 without turning back, because it settles certain wild and fierce beasts into our mind, through them depriving us of honor from all, but coloring the opposite of that honor with its colors, and thus presenting it to the deceived and persuading them that this is greater than that, though it is not so by nature, but rather appears to be so by sight. For just as the beauties of prostituting women, composed of cosmetics and paint, are deprived of beauty, but their shameful and ugly appearance seems to be beautiful and comely to the deceived; so indeed wealth also shows dishonor to be honor rather. For do not look at the praises given openly out of fear and flattery, but unfold the conscience of each of those who flatter you in such ways, and you will see countless accusers crying out against you within, and turning away from you and hating you more than your greatest enemies and foes. And if ever a change of circumstances should come and destroy and expose the mask composed of this fear, just as the sun, sending forth a hotter ray, does to those faces, then you will see clearly, that throughout the time before you were in the utmost dishonor among those who served you; but you thought you were enjoying honor from those who hated you most, and in the utmost misfortunes

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Ὅταν ἴδῃς πλουτοῦντά τινα παρ' ἀξίαν, μὴ μακαρίσῃς, μὴ ζηλωτὸν νομίσῃς, μὴ καταγνῷς τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ προνοίας, μὴ μάτην φέρεσθαι καὶ εἰκῆ τὰ παρόντα νόμιζε· ἀναμνήσθητι τοῦ Λαζάρου καὶ τοῦ πλουσίου, πῶς ὁ μὲν πρὸς ἄκρον ἐληλάκει εὐπορίας καὶ τρυφῆς, ὠμὸς ὢν καὶ ἀπηνὴς καὶ ἀπάνθρωπος καὶ κυνῶν ἀγριώτερος ἁπάντων· καίτοι οἱ μὲν τὸν πένητα ἠλέουν καὶ ἐθεράπευον, οὐκ ὀκνοῦντες τῇ γλώττῃ ἅπτεσθαι τῶν ἑλκῶν τῶν κατὰ παντὸς τοῦ σώματος· ὁ δὲ οὐδὲ ψιχίων αὐτῷ μετεδίδου. Ὁ δὲ πένης ἐκεῖνος, ὁ ὄντως πλούσιος, ὁ ὄντως εὔπορος, εἰς αὐτὸ τὸ τῆς πενίας ἔσχατον κατέπεσε, καὶ αὐτῆς τῆς ἀναγκαίας ἠπόρει τροφῆς, καὶ νόσῳ καὶ λιμῷ διηνεκεῖ προσεπάλαιε. Καὶ ὁ μὲν πλείω τῆς χρείας εἶχεν· ὁ δὲ οὐδὲ τῆς συμμετρίας ἀπέλαυεν· ἀλλ' ὅμως οὐκ ἐδυσχέρανεν, οὐ κατηγόρησε τοῦ Θεοῦ, οὐκ ἐμέμψατο τὴν Πρόνοιαν. Πῶς οὖν οὐκ ἄτοπον, ὅταν αὐτοὶ μὲν οἱ πάσχοντες κακῶς, οὕτω τὸν ∆εσπότην εὐλογῶσιν ἐν πᾶσι, σὺ δὲ ὁ τῶν παλαισμάτων ἑστηκὼς ἔξω, ὑπὲρ τούτων βλασφημεῖς τὸν Θεὸν, ὑπὲρ ὧν εὐχαρίστως ἕτεροι φέρουσιν; Ὁ μὲν γὰρ πάσχων δεινῶς, κἂν εἴπῃ τι ῥῆμα φορτικὸν καὶ ἐπαχθὲς, εἰ καὶ μὴ τοσαύτης ὅσης ἕτερος, ἀλλ' ὅμως γε καὶ ἐλάττονος μετέχει συγγνώμης· ὁ δὲ ἔξω τῶν δεινῶν ἑστὼς, καὶ ὑπὲρ ἑτέρων τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ψυχὴν ἀπολλὺς, ποίας ἂν εἴη συγγνώμης ἄξιος, ὑπὲρ τούτων βλασφημῶν τὸν Θεὸν, ὑπὲρ ὧν ὁ παθὼν κακῶς εὐχαριστεῖ, καὶ διαπαντὸς αὐτὸν ἀνυμνῶν οὐκ ἀφίσταται; ∆ιὰ τί γὰρ ὁ πλοῦτος, ἄνθρωπε, περισπούδαστος εἶναί σοι δοκεῖ; ∆ιὰ τὴν ἡδονὴν πάντως τὴν ἀπὸ τῶν τραπεζῶν, διὰ τὴν τιμὴν καὶ δορυφορίαν τὴν ἀπὸ τῶν διὰ τοῦτόν σε θεραπευόντων, διὰ τὸ δύνασθαι τοὺς λυποῦντας ἀμύνασθαι καὶ πᾶσιν εἶναι φοβερόν· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἑτέρας αἰτίας ἔχοις εἰπεῖν, ἀλλ' ἡδονὴν καὶ κολακείαν, καὶ φόβον καὶ τιμωρίαν. Οὔτε γὰρ σοφώτερον οὔτε σωφρονέστερον ὁ πλοῦτος ποιεῖν εἴωθεν, οὐ χρηστὸν, οὐ φιλάνθρωπον, οὐκ ἄλλο τι μέρος τῆς ἀρετῆς εἰς τὴν ψυχὴν εἰσάγειν καὶ καταφυτεύειν. Οὐδ' ἂν ἰσχύῃς εἰπεῖν, ὅτι διὰ τί τούτων περισπούδαστός ἐστί σοι καὶ ποθεινὸς οὗτος· οὐ γὰρ δὴ μόνον οὐδὲν οἶδε τούτων καταφυτεύειν ἢ γεωργεῖν τῶν ἀγαθῶν, ἀλλὰ κἂν ἀποκείμενα εὕρῃ, λυμαίνεται καὶ κωλύει, ἔνια δὲ καὶ ἀνασπᾷ καὶ τὰ ἐναντία τούτων ἐπεισάγει. Ἀλλὰ μὴ εἴπω περὶ τούτων· οἱ γὰρ τῇ νόσῳ ταύτῃ ἑαλωκότες, οὐκ ἂν ἀνάσχοιντο ἀκούειν, τῆς ἡδονῆς ὄντες ὅλοι, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο αὐτὸ γενόμενοι δοῦλοι, κατηγορουμένων αὐτῶν ὁμοῦ καὶ ἐλεγχομένων. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο οὖν, εἰπέ μοι, ποθεινὸς ὑμῖν ὁ πλοῦτος καὶ περιμάχητος εἶναι δοκεῖ, ὅτι τὰ χαλεπώτατα ἐν ὑμῖν τρέφει πάθη, ὀργήν τε εἰς ἔργον διεξάγων, καὶ τῆς δοξομανίας τὰς πομφόλυγας εἰς μείζονα ὄγκον ἐπαίρων, καὶ πρὸς ἀπόνοιαν διεγείρων; 63.638 ∆ιὰ ταῦτα μὲν οὖν μάλιστα ἀμεταστρεπτὶ φεύγειν αὐ63.638 τὸν χρὴ, ὅτι θηρία τινὰ ἄγρια καὶ χαλεπὰ εἰς τὴν διάνοιαν εἰσοικίζει τὴν ἡμετέραν, δι' αὐτῶν τῆς μὲν παρὰ πάντων ἀποστερῶν τιμῆς, τὴν δὲ ἐναντίαν ἐκείνης τοῖς ἐκείνης χρώμασιν ἀναχρωννὺς, καὶ οὕτω προσάγων τοῖς ἠπατημένοις καὶ πείθων ταύτην ἐκείνης εἶναι μείζω, οὐκ οὖσαν μὲν τῇ φύσει, ἀλλὰ τῇ ὄψει μᾶλλον δοκοῦσαν εἶναι. Καθάπερ γὰρ τὰ κάλλη τῶν ἑταιριζομένων γυναικῶν, ἐπιτρίμμασι καὶ ὑπογραφαῖς συγκείμενα, κάλλους μὲν ἀπεστέρηνται, τὴν δὲ αἰσχρὰν ὄψιν καὶ δυσειδῆ καλήν τε καὶ εὐειδῆ παρὰ τοῖς ἠπατημένοις εἶναι δοκεῖ· οὕτω δὴ καὶ ὁ πλοῦτος ἀτιμίαν τὴν τιμὴν μᾶλλον δείκνυσιν εἶναι. Μὴ γάρ μοι τὰς ἐν τῷ φανερῷ διὰ φόβον καὶ θωπείαν γενομένας εὐφημίας ἴδῃς, ἀλλὰ τὸ ἑκάστου συνειδὸς τῶν τὰ τοιαῦτά σε κολακευόντων ἀνάπτυξον, καὶ ὄψει μυρίους ἔνδον καταβοῶντάς σου κατηγόρους, καὶ τῶν μάλιστα ἐχθρῶν καὶ πολεμίων μᾶλλον ἀποστρεφομένους σε καὶ μισοῦντας. Καὶ εἴποτε τὸ ἐκ τοῦ φόβου τούτου συγκείμενον προσωπεῖον μεταβολὴ πραγμάτων ἐπελθοῦσα ἀφανίσειέ τε καὶ διελέγξειε, καθάπερ τὰς ὄψεις ἐκείνας ἥλιος θερμοτέραν ἀκτῖνα ἀφεὶς, τότε ὄψει καλῶς, ὅτι παρὰ τὸν ἔμπροσθεν χρόνον ἐν ἐσχάτῃ μὲν ἦς ἀτιμίᾳ παρὰ τοῖς θεραπεύουσι· τιμῆς δὲ ἐνόμιζες ἀπολαύειν ὑπὸ τῶν μάλιστά σε μισούντων, καὶ ἐν ἐσχάταις συμφοραῖς