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For bonds are also placed around these men from all sides; such as the fear of judges, the threat of the laws, the condemnation from the many, and other things more numerous than these; but nevertheless, breaking through all these, they turn everything upside down. And if someone were to remove these completely from them, then he would clearly know the demon in them to be much wilder and more maniacal than the one that has now come out. 5. But since this is not possible, let us for the time being suppose it in theory, and let us remove all his chains; and then we shall clearly see his brilliant madness. But do not fear the beast, when we uncover it; for the scene is in words, the matter is not in reality. Let there be, then, a certain man shooting fire from his eyes, black, having serpents suspended from each of his shoulders instead of hands; and let him have a mouth, having sharp swords fixed in it instead of teeth, and instead of a tongue a gushing spring of venom and poisonous drug; and a belly, more consuming than any furnace, devouring all things thrown into it; and feet somewhat winged and more violent than any flame; and let his face be fashioned from a dog and a wolf; and let him utter nothing human, but something discordant and unpleasant and terrifying; and let him have flame in his hands. Perhaps what has been said seems terrifying to you; but we have not yet depicted him according to his worth; for with these things, it is necessary to add others also. For let him slaughter those he meets, let him devour them, let him seize their flesh. But the covetous man is much more grievous than this, assailing all like Hades, swallowing all, a common enemy going about of the human race. For he wishes that no other person exist, so that he may possess everything. And he does not stop there, but when in his desire he has destroyed everyone, he desires to destroy the sub 57.357 stance of the earth, and to see it as gold; and not only the earth, but also mountains and glens and springs, and simply all things that appear. And so that you may learn that we have not yet represented his madness, let there be no one to accuse and to intimidate, but remove for the time being in theory the fear of the laws, and you will see him seizing a sword, and making away with everyone, and sparing no one, not a friend, not a relative, not a brother, not his own father. Or rather, there is no need of a hypothesis here; but let us ask him, if he does not always form such fantasies for himself, and go about destroying everyone in his mind, both friends, and relatives, and his own parents. Or rather, there is no need even of a question; for all know that those who are possessed by this disease are burdened by a father's old age, and that which is sweet and lovely to all, having children, they consider to be burdensome and oppressive. At least many for this reason have procured childlessness, and have mutilated nature, not by killing their children after they were born, but by not even allowing them to be conceived in the first place. Do not be surprised, therefore, if we have depicted the covetous man thus (for he is much worse than the things mentioned). but let us consider how we may free him from the demon. How then shall we free him? If he should learn clearly that the love of money is especially opposed to this very thing, to providing money; for those who wish to gain small things, suffer great losses; from which a proverb on this very matter has been brought forth. At least many often wishing to lend at high rates of interest, in the expectation of profit not examining the borrowers, have lost both the interest and the entire principal. Again others having fallen into dangers, and not being willing 57.358 to part with a little, have lost their life along with their property. When it was possible again, to purchase either profitable offices, or something else of that sort, by being stingy they lost the whole thing. For since they do not know how to sow, but have always practiced reaping, they constantly fail of the harvest. For no one is able always to reap, just as no one is able always to profit. Since, therefore, they are not willing to spend, they do not know how to profit either. But even if it is necessary to take a wife, again they suffer this same thing; for either they were deceived, taking a poor one instead of a wealthy one; or even

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Περίκειται μὲν γὰρ καὶ τούτοις δεσμὰ πανταχόθεν· οἷον ὁ τῶν δικαστῶν φόβος, ἡ τῶν νόμων ἀπειλὴ, ἡ παρὰ τῶν πολλῶν κατάγνωσις, καὶ ἕτερα πλείονα τούτων· ἀλλ' ὅμως καὶ ταῦτα διαῤῥηγνύντες πάντα ἄνω καὶ κάτω ποιοῦσι. Καὶ εἴ τις αὐτὰ τέλεον αὐτῶν ἀφεῖλε, τότε ἂν ἔγνω σαφῶς τὸν ἐν αὐτοῖς δαίμονα πολὺ τοῦ νῦν ἐξελθόντος ἀγριώτερον ὄντα καὶ μανικώτερον. εʹ. Ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ τοῦτο οὐκ ἔνι, τῷ λόγῳ τέως αὐτὸ ὑποθώμεθα, καὶ πάσας αὐτοῦ περιέλωμεν τὰς ἁλύσεις· καὶ τότε αὐτοῦ σαφῶς εἰσόμεθα τὴν λαμπρὰν μανίαν. Ἀλλὰ μὴ δείσητε τὸ θηρίον, ὅταν αὐτὸ ἐκκαλύψωμεν· ἐν γὰρ τῷ λόγῳ ἡ σκηνὴ, οὐκ ἐν ἀληθείᾳ τὸ πρᾶγμα. Ἔστω τοίνυν τις ἄνθρωπος πῦρ ἀπὸ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν ἀφιεὶς, μέλας, ἐξ ἑκατέρων τῶν ὤμων δράκοντας ἀντὶ χειρῶν ἔχων ἐξηρτημένους· ἔστω δὲ αὐτῷ καὶ στόμα, ἀντὶ μὲν ὀδόντων ξίφη ὀξέα ἔχον ἐμπεπηγότα, ἀντὶ δὲ γλώσσης ἰοῦ καὶ δηλητηρίου φαρμάκου πηγὴν ἀναβλύζουσαν· γαστὴρ δὲ, καμίνου πάσης δαπανητικωτέρα, τὰ ἐμβαλλόμενα ἀναλίσκουσα ἅπαντα· καὶ πόδες ὑπόπτεροί τινες καὶ φλογὸς ἁπάσης σφοδρότεροι· καὶ τὸ πρόσωπον δὲ αὐτῷ ἀπὸ κυνὸς καὶ λύκου κατεσκευασμένον ἔστω· καὶ φθεγγέσθω μηδὲν ἀνθρώπινον, ἀλλ' ἀπηχές τι καὶ ἀηδὲς καὶ φοβερόν· ἐχέτω δὲ καὶ ἐν χερσὶ φλόγα. Τάχα φοβερὰ δοκεῖ εἶναι ὑμῖν τὰ εἰρημένα· ἀλλ' οὐδέπω κατ' ἀξίαν αὐτὸν ἐσχηματίσαμεν· μετὰ γὰρ τούτων καὶ ἕτερα δεῖ προσθεῖναι. Καὶ γὰρ τοὺς ἀπαντῶντας σφαττέτω, κατεσθιέτω, τῶν σαρκῶν αὐτῶν ἁπτέσθω. Ἀλλὰ καὶ τούτου πολλῷ χαλεπώτερος ὁ φιλάργυρος, πᾶσιν ἐπιὼν ὥσπερ ᾅδης, πάντας καταπίνων, κοινὸς πολέμιος περιερχόμενος τοῦ τῶν ἀνθρώπων γένους. Καὶ γὰρ βούλεται μηδένα ἄνθρωπον εἶναι, ἵνα τὰ πάντα κατέχῃ. Καὶ οὐδὲ ἐνταῦθα ἵσταται, ἀλλ' ὅταν πάντας ἀπολέσῃ τῇ ἐπιθυμίᾳ, καὶ τῆς γῆς τὴν οὐ 57.357 σίαν ἀφανίσαι ἐπιθυμεῖ, καὶ χρυσὸν αὐτὴν οὖσαν ἰδεῖν· οὐ τὴν γῆν δὲ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὄρη καὶ νάπας καὶ πηγὰς, καὶ πάντα ἁπλῶς τὰ φαινόμενα. Καὶ ἵνα μάθητε ὅτι οὐδέπω τὴν μανίαν παρεστήσαμεν τὴν ἐκείνου, μηδεὶς ἔστω ὁ ἐγκαλῶν καὶ δεδιττόμενος, ἀλλ' ἄνελε τὸν ἐκ τῶν νόμων φόβον τῷ λόγῳ τέως, καὶ ὄψει αὐτὸν ξίφος ἁρπάσαντα, καὶ πάντας διαχρώμενον, καὶ οὐδενὸς φειδόμενον, οὐ φίλου, οὐ συγγενοῦς, οὐκ ἀδελφοῦ, οὐκ αὐτοῦ τοῦ γεγεννηκότος. Μᾶλλον δὲ οὐδὲ ὑποθέσεως ἐνταῦθα χρεία· ἀλλ' ἐρώμεθα αὐτὸν, εἰ μὴ τοιαύτας πλάττει καθ' ἑαυτὸν ἀεὶ φαντασίας, καὶ πάντας ἔπεισιν ἀναιρῶν τῷ λογισμῷ, καὶ φίλους, καὶ συγγενεῖς, καὶ αὐτοὺς τοὺς γεγεννηκότας. Μᾶλλον δὲ οὐδὲ ἐρωτήσεως χρεία· καὶ γὰρ πάντες ἴσασιν ὡς οἱ τούτῳ κατεχόμενοι τῷ νοσήματι, καὶ γῆρας βαρύνονται πατρὸς, τό τε γλυκὺ καὶ πᾶσιν ἐπέραστον, τὸ παῖδας ἔχειν, βαρὺ καὶ ἐπαχθὲς εἶναι νομίζουσι. Πολλοὶ γοῦν καὶ ἀτοκίαν διὰ τοῦτο ὠνήσαντο, καὶ τὴν φύσιν ἐπήρωσαν, οὐκ ἀνελόντες τεχθέντας τοὺς παῖδας, ἀλλὰ μηδὲ φῦναι τὴν ἀρχὴν συγχωρήσαντες. Μὴ τοίνυν θαυμάσητε, εἰ τὸν φιλάργυρον οὕτως ἐσχηματίσαμεν (καὶ γὰρ πολὺ χείρων ἐστὶ τῶν εἰρημένων). ἀλλὰ σκοπήσωμεν πῶς τοῦ δαίμονος αὐτὸν ἀπαλλάξομεν. Πῶς οὖν ἀπαλλάξομεν; Εἰ μάθοι σαφῶς, ὅτι ἡ φιλαργυρία πρὸς αὐτὸ τοῦτο μάλιστα αὐτῷ ἐναντιοῦται, πρὸς τὸ πορίζειν χρήματα· οἱ γὰρ τὰ μικρὰ κερδαίνειν βουλόμενοι, μεγάλας ὑπομένουσι ζημίας· ὅθεν δὴ καὶ παροιμία εἰς αὐτὸ τοῦτο ἐξενήνεκται. Πολλοὶ γοῦν πολλάκις ἐπὶ μεγάλοις δανεῖσαι βουλόμενοι τόκοις, τῇ προσδοκίᾳ τοῦ κέρδους οὐκ ἐξετάσαντες τοὺς λαμβάνοντας, μετὰ τοῦ τόκου καὶ τοῦ κεφαλαίου παντὸς ἐξέπεσον. Πάλιν εἰς κινδύνους περιπεσόντες ἕτεροι, καὶ μὴ βουληθέντες 57.358 ὀλίγα προέσθαι, καὶ τὴν ψυχὴν μετὰ τῆς οὐσίας ἀπώλεσαν. Παρὸν πάλιν, ἢ ἀξιώματα κερδαλέα, ἢ ἄλλο τι τοιοῦτον ὠνήσασθαι, μικρολογησάμενοι τὸ πᾶν ἀπώλεσαν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ οὐκ ἴσασι σπείρειν, ἀλλ' ἀεὶ θερίζειν μεμελετήκασι, καὶ τοῦ ἀμητοῦ συνεχῶς ἐκπίπτουσιν. Οὐδεὶς γὰρ ἀεὶ θερίζειν δύναται, ὥσπερ οὐδὲ ἀεὶ κερδαίνειν. Ἐπεὶ οὖν οὐ βούλονται δαπανᾷν, οὐδὲ κερδαίνειν ἴσασιν. Ἀλλὰ κἂν γυναῖκα δέῃ λαβεῖν, πάλιν τὸ αὐτὸ τοῦτο ὑπομένουσιν· ἢ γὰρ ἐξηπατήθησαν ἄπορον ἀντ' εὐπόρου λαβόντες· ἢ καὶ