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Of Basil. The stomach is a most unfaithful business partner, 873 an unguarded storehouse; though many things are deposited, it retains the harm, but does not retain what was delivered to it.

A gluttonous stomach, always demanding and never ceasing. The one that receives today, and forgets tomorrow. When it is filled, it philosophizes about self-control; when it is emptied, it forgets its doctrines.

Fear the example of the rich man. Lifelong luxury delivered him to the fire. For not accused of injustice, but of delicate living, he was fried in the flame of the furnace.

For from rich food and wine, certain sooty exhalations are sent up, like a thick cloud, interrupting the illuminations from the Holy Spirit upon the mind. Therefore Moses also, ascending through his mind to the vision of God, continued without food (15Ε_244> and without drink for forty days, arranging that his ruling faculty remain untroubled.

The Theologian. Human nature is wakeful and sleepless in its desire for more.

"Give," said the stomach. "What you receive and are wise, I will give readily; but what you give to those below is dung. You may take it, but nevertheless not richly. But if you should hold back, let us give

even richly." For to me, intemperance is everything that is superfluous and beyond need, and these things, while others are hungry

and in need, who are of the same clay and mixture. Nothing is so combative and contentious as the stomach. Chrysostom. Having eaten and drunk and been filled, take heed to yourself. For steep is

the place of luxury. John Climacus. When the belly is afflicted, the heart is humbled; but when it is pampered, pride exults

in reasoning. Nyssa. Let want be your relish; and do not add satiety to satiety, nor

blunt your appetite with carousing. The root of the transgressions in life is preoccupation with the throat. The sensation of sweet savors has its limit as far as the palate; but from

the palate onwards, the difference of the things put in is indistinct, as nature changes everything equally to a foul smell.

Of Philo. The property of self-control is health 876 and strength; but of intemperance, weakness and sickness neighboring death.

Plutarch. People ask to have health from God; but having the power for this in themselves, they do not know it. For by doing the opposite through intemperance, they themselves become traitors to their health.

Just as an ointment is good not for being pleasant, nor for being long-lasting, but for being (15Ε_246> healthy; so also food is good not for being pleasant, nor for being abundant, but for being healthy.

Let speed and haste be absent from eating; for this is dog-like, and more fitting for a wild beast than for a human.

Of Cato. This one, attacking extravagance, said, "How difficult it is to speak to a stomach that has no ears."

Antisthenes. Antisthenes, being asked, "What is a festival?" said, "An occasion for gluttony."

Of Epictetus. Take care that the food in your stomach does not fatten you, but the cheerfulness in your soul. Since the former is turned to dung, and the praise flows away with it; but the soul, when separated, remains forever unharmed.

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Βασιλείου. Γαστήρ συναλλάκτης ἐστίν ἀπιστότατος, 873 ταμεῖον ἀφύλακτον· πολλῶν ἀποτεθέντων, τήν μέν βλάβην παρακατέχουσα, τά δέ παραδοθέντα οὐ κατέχουσα.

Λίχνη γαστήρ, ἡ ἀεί ἀπαιτοῦσα καί μηδέποτε λήγουσα. Ἡ λαμβάνουσα σήμερον, καί αὔριον λανθανομένη. Ὅταν ἐμπλησθῇ, περί ἐγκρατείας φιλοσοφεῖ· ὅταν διαπνευσθῇ, ἐπιλανθάνεται τῶν δογμάτων.

Φοβήθητι τό ὑπόδειγμα τοῦ πλουσίου. Ἐκεῖνον παρέδωκε τῷ πυρί ἡ διά βίου τρυφή. Οὐ γάρ ἀδικίαν, ἀλλά τό ἀβροδίαιτον ἐγκληθείς, ἀπετηγανίζετο ἐν τῇ φλογί τῆς καμίνου.

Ἐκ γάρ τῆς παχείας τροφῆς καί οἴνου, αἰθαλώδεις τινές ἀναθυμιάσεις ἀναπεμπόμεναι, νεφέλης δίκην πυκνῆς, τάς ἀπό τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος ἐλλάμψεις ἐπί τόν νοῦν διακόπτουσι. ∆ιό καί Μωϋσῆς πρός θεωρίαν Θεοῦ ἀναβαίνων διά τοῦ νοῦ, ἄσιτος (15Ε_244> καί ἄποτος ἡμερῶν τεσσαράκοντα διετέλεσεν, ἀθόλωτον διαμένειν αὐτῷ τό ἡγεμονικόν διοικούμενος.

Θεολ. Ἄϋπνός ἐστι καί ἀκοίμητος πρός τήν τοῦ πλείονος ἐπιθυμίαν ἡ ἀνθρωπίνη φύσις.

∆ός εἶπε γαστήρ. Ἥν λαβοῦσα φωφρονεῖς, ∆ώσω προθύμως· ἥν δέ τοῖς κάτω δίδως Κόπρον· λάβοις μέν, ἀλλ᾿ ὅμως μή πλουσίαν. Εἰ δ᾿ οὖν κατάσχοις, δώσωμεν

καί πλουσίαν. Ἀκρασία γάρ ἐμοί, πᾶν τό περιττόν καί ὑπέρ τήν χείαν καί ταῦτα, πεινόντων

ἄλλων καί δεομένων, τῶν ἐκ τοῦ αὐτοῦ πηλοῦ καί κράματος. Οὐδέν οὕτω ἐπίμαχόν τε καί φιλόνεικον, ὡς ἡ γαστήρ. Χρυσοσ. Φαγών καί πιών καί ἐμπλησθείς, πρόσεχε σεαυτῷ. Ἀπόκρημνος γάρ

ἐστιν ὁ τόπος τῆς τρυφῆς. Ἰω. Κλίμ. Θλιβομένης κοιλίας ταπεινοῦται καρδία· θεραπευομένης δέ, γαυριᾷ

λογισμός. Νύσσ. Ὄψον σοι γενέσθω ἔνδεια· καί τό μή ἐπιβάλλειν κόρον τῷ κόρῳ, μηδέ

ἀμβλύνειν τῇ κραιπάλῃ ὄρεξιν. Ῥίζα τῶν περί τόν βίον πλημμελημάτων ἐστίν, ἡ περί τόν λαιμόν ἀσχολία. Μέχρι τῆς ὑπερώας ἡ τῶν ἡδυσμάτων αἴσθησις τόν ὅρον ἔχει· ἀπό δέ

ὑπερώας, ἀδιάκριτος ἡ τῶν ἐμβαλλομένων διαφορά, ὁμοτίμως τά πάντα τῆς φύσεως πρός δυσωδίαν ἀλλοιούσης.

Φίλωνος. Ἐγκρατείας μέν ἴδιον, ὑγίεια 876 καί ἰσχύς· ἀκρασίας δέ, ἀσθένεια καί νόσος γειτνιῶσα θανάτῳ.

Πλουτάρχ. Ὑγείαν ἔχειν παρά Θεοῦ αἰτοῦνται οἱ ἄνθρωποι· τήν δέ ταύτης δύναμιν παρ᾿ ἑαυτοῖς ἔχοντες, οὐκ ἴσασιν. Ἀκρασίᾳ γάρ τά ἐναντία πράσσοντες, αὐτοί προδόται τῆς ὑγείας γίνονται.

Ὥσπερ ἄλειμμα οὐ τό ἡδύ καλόν, οὐδέ τό μακρόν, ἀλλά τό (15Ε_246> ὑγιεινόν· οὕτω καί τροφή, οὐχ ἡ ἡδεῖα καλή, οὐδέ ἡ πολλή, ἀλλ᾿ ἡ ὑγιεινή.

Τάχος καί ἔπειξις ἀπέστω τοῦ ἐσθίειν· κυνῶδες γάρ τοῦτο, καί θηρίῳ μᾶλλον ἤ ἀνθρώπῳ πρέπον.

Κάτωνος. Οὗτος τῆς πολυτελείας καθαπτόμενος, εἶπεν, Ὡς χαλεπόν ἐστι λέγειν πρός γαστέρα, ὦτα μή ἔχουσαν.

Ἀντισθέν. Ἀντισθένης ἐρωτηθείς, Τί ἐστιν ἑορτή, εἶπε, Γαστριμαργίας ἀφορμή.

Ἐπικτήτου. Φρόντιζε ὅπως σε μή τά ἐν τῇ γαστρί σιτία πιαίνει, ἀλλ᾿ ἡ ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ εὐφρασία. Ἐπεί τά μέν ἀποσκυβαλίζεται, καί συνεκρεῖ ὁ ἔπαινος· ἡ δέ ψυχή χωρισθεῖσα, διαπαντός ἀκήρατος μένει.