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of the good things we expect, we still gape at present things, and do not consider the malice of the devil, who through small things takes away great things from us; and he gives mud, that he may snatch heaven, and shows a shadow, that he may cast us out from the truth, and conjures up fantasies in dreams (for this is what present wealth is), so that, when day comes, he may show us to be poorer than all. For what enemy has established itself so perpetual and insatiable as wealth, destroying our soul while we live, and insulting our body when we die, so as not even to allow it to be hidden in the earth, which is a common right even of the condemned? For the lawgivers, after exacting the penalty of death from them, do not meddle any further; but from those who possess it, wealth exacts a most bitter penalty even after death, setting them forth naked and unburied, a terrible and pitiable sight. For these suffer things more grievous than those who suffer this from a verdict and judicial wrath. For the former, having remained unburied for the first and second day, are given over to the earth; but the latter, when they are given over to the earth, are then stripped and insulted by tomb-robbers. And if they do not take the coffin and depart, the credit is no longer to wealth, but here too to poverty; so that if we had entrusted this also to wealth, and ceasing to make it of stone, had forged it of gold, we would have lost this also. What then could be more wretched than the rich man, when not even death affords him security, but that miserable body of his, not even deprived of life, has been rid of the evils in life, being robbed and plundered for the sake of the love of money by criminals and tomb-robbers, who hasten to make war against dust and ashes, and much more grievously than when he was alive? For then, entering the treasury, they would empty the coffers, but they would keep away from the body, and would not have taken so much as to strip the body itself; but now they do not even abstain from this, but move it and turn it about, and with great cruelty insult it. For after it has been given over to the earth, having made it naked both of the covering from thence and of that from the garments, they thus leave it to be cast out in great desolation. And nature at that time reconciles even his enemies to him; but wealth makes war even on those who have 63.643 nothing to accuse him of, and so brutalizes and stirs up the fury of the inhuman against the dead and motionless body, that they would not even have abstained from the flesh itself, if the limbs were of any use to them. Let us not then think that wealth is a great good; for a great good is not to possess money, but to possess the fear of God. Behold now, if there were someone who was righteous, and had great confidence before God, even if he were poorer than all, it would be enough to resolve the present terrors; for it would be enough only to stretch out his hands to heaven, and call upon God, and this cloud would have passed by; but so much gold is laid up, and it is more useless than any mud for the resolution of the impending evils. And not in this danger only, but also if sickness should befall, or death, or any other such thing, the power of money is exposed, having no consolation of its own to show for what happens. Where now are the rich, who count up interest and interest on interest, who take the property of all and are never satisfied? Have you heard the voice of Peter, which reveals poverty to be the mother of wealth? of her who had nothing and was richer than those who wear diadems? For she who had nothing both raised the dead, and made the lame walk, and cast out demons, and bestowed such gifts as those who are clothed in purple, and who lead large and fearsome armies, were never able to do. What then does he say? Silver and gold have I none. What is more venerable than this voice? What is more blessed and wealthy? Others pride themselves on the opposite, saying: I have so and so many talents of gold, and countless acres of land, and houses and slaves; but this man, on being naked of all things, and not

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προσδοκωμένων ἀγαθῶν, ἔτι πρὸς τὰ παρόντα κεχήναμεν, καὶ οὐκ ἐννοοῦμεν τοῦ διαβόλου τὴν κακουργίαν, ὃς διὰ τῶν μικρῶν τὰ μεγάλα ἡμᾶς ἀφαιρεῖται· καὶ δίδωσι πηλὸν, ἵνα ἁρπάσῃ οὐρανὸν, καὶ δείκνυσι σκιὰν, ἵνα ἐκβάλῃ τῆς ἀληθείας, καὶ ἐν ὀνείροις φαντάζει (τοῦτο γὰρ ὁ παρὼν πλοῦτος), ἵνα, ἡμέρας γενομένης, δείξῃ πάντων πενεστέρους. Τίς γὰρ οὕτω πολέμιος διηνεκὴς καὶ ἀκόρεστος καθέστηκεν ὡς ὁ πλοῦτος, ζώντων μὲν ἡμῶν καὶ τὴν ψυχὴν ἀπολλὺς, τελευτώντων δὲ καὶ τὸ σῶμα ἐνυβρίζων, ὡς οὐδὲ τῇ γῇ κρύπτεσθαι συγχωρῶν, ὃ κοινὸν καὶ τῶν καταδίκων ἐστίν; Ἐκείνους μὲν γὰρ τοῦ θανάτου τὴν δίκην ἀπαιτήσαντες οἱ νομοθέται, οὐδὲν περαιτέρω περιεργάζονται· τοὺς δὲ κεκτημένους αὐτὸν ὁ πλοῦτος καὶ μετὰ θάνατον πικροτάτην ἀπαιτεῖ δίκην, γυμνοὺς προτιθεὶς καὶ ἀτάφους, θέαμα δεινὸν καὶ ἐλεεινόν. Καὶ γὰρ τῶν ἀπὸ ψήφου τοῦτο πασχόντων καὶ θυμοῦ δικαστικοῦ χαλεπώτερα οὗτοι πάσχουσιν. Ἐκεῖνοι μὲν γὰρ τὴν πρώτην ἡμέραν καὶ δευτέραν μείναντες ἄταφοι, τῇ γῇ παραδίδονται· οὗτοι δὲ, ὅταν παραδοθῶσι τῇ γῇ, τότε παρὰ τῶν τυμβωρύχων γυμνοῦνται καὶ καθυβρίζονται. Εἰ δὲ μὴ καὶ τὴν θήκην λαβόντες ἀπέρχονται, οὐκ ἔτι τῷ πλούτῳ χάρις, ἀλλὰ τῇ πενίᾳ κἀνταῦθα· ὡς εἴ γε καὶ ταύτην ἐνεχειρίσαμεν τῷ πλούτῳ, καὶ ἀφέντες ἀπὸ λίθου κατασκευάζειν αὐτὴν, ἐχαλκεύσαμεν ἀπὸ χρυσοῦ, καὶ ταύτην ἂν ἀπωλέσαμεν. Τί τοίνυν ἀθλιώτερον τοῦ πλουτοῦντος γένοιτ' ἂν, ὅταν μηδὲ θάνατος αὐτῷ παρέχῃ τὴν ἄδειαν, ἀλλὰ τὸ δείλαιον σῶμα ἐκείνου οὐδὲ τῆς ζωῆς ἀποστερηθὲν, ἀπήλλακται τῶν ἐν τῇ ζωῇ κακῶν, λῃστευόμενον καὶ συλούμενον διὰ τὸν τῆς φιλοχρηματίας ἔρωτα ὑπὸ κακούργων καὶ τυμβωρύχων, τῶν πρὸς τὴν κόνιν καὶ τέφραν ἐπειγομένων πολεμεῖν, καὶ πολλῷ χαλεπώτερον, ἢ ἡνίκα ἔζη; Τότε μὲν γὰρ εἰς ταμιεῖον εἰσιόντες, τὰ κιβώτια μὲν ἐκένουν, τοῦ σώματος δὲ ἀπείχοντο, καὶ οὐκ ἂν τοσαῦτα ἔλαβον, ὡς καὶ αὐτὸ γυμνῶσαι τὸ σῶμα νυνὶ δὲ οὐδὲ τούτου ἀπέχονται, ἀλλὰ κινοῦσιν αὐτὸ καὶ περιστρέφουσι, καὶ μετὰ πολλῆς ὠμότητος ἐνυβρίζουσι. Μετὰ γὰρ τὸ παραδοθῆναι τῇ γῇ, γυμνὸν καὶ τῆς ἐκεῖθεν περιβολῆς καὶ τῆς ἀπὸ τῶν ἱματίων ποιήσαντες, οὕτως ἀφιᾶσιν ἐῤῥῖφθαι ἐν ἐρημίᾳ πολλῇ. Καὶ ἡ μὲν φύσις καὶ τοὺς ἐχθροὺς αὐτῷ καταλλάττει τότε· ὁ δὲ πλοῦτος καὶ τοὺς οὐδὲν 63.643 ἔχοντας ἐγκαλεῖν ἐκπολεμεῖ, καὶ οὕτως ἐκθηριοῖ καὶ κατεξανίστησι τὴν κατὰ τοῦ νεκροῦ καὶ ἀκινήτου τῶν ἀπανθρώπων μανίαν, ὡς οὐδ' ἂν αὐτῶν τῶν σαρκῶν ἀπέσχοντο, εἴ γέ που χρήσιμα ἦν αὐτοῖς καὶ τὰ μέλη. Μὴ τοίνυν μέγα νομίζωμεν ἀγαθὸν εἶναι τὸν πλοῦτον· μέγα γὰρ ἀγαθὸν, οὐ τὸ κεκτῆσθαι χρήματα, ἀλλὰ τὸ κεκτῆσθαι φόβον Θεοῦ. Ἰδοὺ νῦν, εἴ τις ἦν δίκαιος, καὶ πολλὴν παῤῥησίαν ἔχων πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν, εἰ καὶ πάντων πενέστερος ἦν, ἤρκει λῦσαι τὰ παρόντα δεινά· ἤρκει γὰρ μόνον τὰς χεῖρας ἐκτεῖναι εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν, καὶ καλέσαι τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ τὸ νέφος τοῦτο παρῆλθεν ἄν· χρυσίον δὲ τοσοῦτον ἀπόκειται, καὶ πηλοῦ παντός ἐστιν ἀχρηστότερον πρὸς τὴν λύσιν τῶν ἐπικειμένων κακῶν. Οὐκ ἐν τούτῳ δὲ μόνῳ τῷ κινδύνῳ, ἀλλὰ κἂν νόσος καταλάβῃ, κἂν θάνατος, κἂν ἄλλο τι τῶν τοιούτων, ἐλέγχεται τῶν χρημάτων ἡ δύναμις, μηδεμίαν ἔχουσα παραμυθίαν τοῖς συμβαίνουσιν οἴκοθεν ἐπιδείξασθαι. Ποῦ νῦν οἱ πλουτοῦντες, οἱ τόκους ἀριθμοῦντες καὶ τόκους τόκων, οἱ τὰ πάντων λαμβάνοντες καὶ οὐδέποτε κορεννύμενοι; Ἠκούσατε τῆς Πέτρου φωνῆς τῆς ἐπιδεικνυμένης πενίαν πλούτου μητέρα; τῆς οὐδὲν ἐχούσης καὶ τῶν τὰ διαδήματα περικειμένων εὐπορωτέρας; Αὕτη μὲν γὰρ ἡ μηδὲν ἔχουσα καὶ νεκροὺς ἀνίστα, καὶ χωλοὺς διώρθου, καὶ δαίμονας ἤλαυνε, καὶ τοιαῦτα ἐχαρίζετο, ἅπερ οἱ τὴν ἁλουργίδα περιβεβλημένοι, καὶ τὰ μεγάλα καὶ φοβερὰ στρατόπεδα ἄγοντες, οὐδέποτε ἴσχυσαν. Τί τοίνυν φησίν; Ἀργύριον καὶ χρυσίον οὐχ ὑπάρχει μοι. Τί ταύτης σεμνότερον τῆς φωνῆς; τί μακαριώτερον καὶ εὐπορώτερον; Ἕτεροι μὲν ἐπὶ τοῖς ἐναντίοις ἐναβρύνονται λέγοντες· Ἔχω τόσα καὶ τόσα χρυσίου τάλαντα, καὶ πλέθρα γῆς ἄπειρα, καὶ οἰκίας καὶ ἀνδράποδα· οὗτος δὲ ἐπὶ τῷ πάντων εἶναι γυμνὸς, καὶ οὐ