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Gregory of Nyssa. To have a few things well is much more precious than to have many things badly. No one ever has a surfeit of gaining; but what is always being received becomes material and kindling for the desire of more.

Gold is a heavy thing; but virtue is a light and upward-bearing thing. If, then, it is necessary to approach the things above, let us be poor in the things that drag down [drag down], so that we may be above in the heavens.

The beauty of wealth is not in purses, but in the assistance of those in need.

(796) Philo. The desires for money and possessions waste time; but it is good to be sparing of time.

Give greater and more earnest care to those who have become poor or are in poverty for the sake of virtue and piety; and likewise also to those in want from diseases and misfortunes, rather than to those who have become poor from wrongdoing or profligacy.

Nilus. Do not wish to be rich for the sake of loving the poor; for God legislates what is just, to show mercy from what one has.

Plutarch. In war, for safety, iron is better than gold; but in life, reason is better than wealth.

It is not possible to use safely either a horse without a bridle, or wealth without reason.

Neither a banquet without conversation, nor wealth without virtue has pleasure.

The life of the avaricious resembles the dinner of a dead man. For though he has everything, he does not have the one who will rejoice. One should seek neither conversation from a dead man, nor a favor from an avaricious man. Bees come to the perception of honey more quickly; and the avaricious, to the perception of gain.

The desire for money for the sake of gain is the slaughter of the avaricious man; whence the removal of money, just like that of blood, brings death to him.

Some prepare throughout their life the things for life, as if they were going to live after life.

He used to say that the rich and greedy are like those with dropsy; for the latter, though full of water, thirst, while the former thirst for money.

Neither would a horse be judged noble for having costly trappings, but the one splendid by nature; nor a man excellent for possessing a costly substance, but the one noble in soul.

Despise those who are zealous for wealth, but are not able to use what they have. For such men suffer something similar, as if someone should acquire a fine horse, while knowing how to ride badly.

Consider magnanimous not those who acquire more than they are able to manage, but those who aim for moderate things, and are able to accomplish what they undertake.

Aristotle. Poverty is in need of many things; but greed is in need of everything.

299

Γρηγ. Νύσσης. Τό καλῶς ἔχειν ὀλίγα πολύ τιμιώτερον, τοῦ κακῶς ἔχειν πολλά. Οὐδείς ποτε, τοῦ κερδαίνειν γίνεται κόρος· ἀλλά τό ἀεί λαμβανόμενον, ὕλη καί ὑπέκκαυμα τῆς τοῦ πλείονος ἐπιθυμίας καθίσταται.

Βαρύ χρῆμα τό χρυσίον ἐστί· κοῦφον δέ καί ἀνωφερές πρᾶγμα ἡ ἀρετή. Εἰ οὖν χρή τῶν ἄνω προσβαίνειν, τῶν κατελθόντων [καθελκ.] πτωχεύσωμεν, ἵνα ἐν οὐρανοῖς ἄνω γινώμεθα.

Πλούτου κάλλος οὐκ ἐν βαλαντίοις, ἀλλ᾿ ἐν τῇ τῶν χρηζόντων ἐπικουρίᾳ.

(796) Φίλων. Αἱ μέν χρημάτων καί κτημάτων ἐπιθυμίαι τούς χρόνους ἀναλίσκουσι· χρόνου δέ φείδεσθαι, καλόν.

Μείζονα καί σπουδαιοτέραν ἐπιμέλειαν ποιοῦ εἰς τούς δι᾿ ἀρετήν καί θεοσέβειαν πτωχεύσαντας, ἤ πενομένους· ἄλλως τε ὁμοίως καί εἰς τούς ἐκ νόσων καί συμπτωμάτων ἀποροῦντας, παρά τούς ἐκ κακοπραγμονίας ἤ ἀσωτίας πτωχεύσαντας.

Νείλου. Μή βούλου πλουτεῖν φιλοπτωχείας ἕνεκα· ἀπό γάρ τῶν ὄντων τοῦ ἐλεεῖν ὁ Θεός νομοθετεῖ τό δίκαιον.

Πλουτάρχ. Ἐν πολέμῳ μέν πρός ἀσφάλειαν σίδηρος χρυσοῦ κρείσσων· ἐν δέ τῷ ζῇν, ὁ λόγος τοῦ πλούτου.

Οὔτε ἵππῳ χωρίς χαλινοῦ, οὔτε πλούτῳ χωρίς λογισμοῦ, δυνατόν ἀσφαλῶς χρήσασθαι.

Οὔτε συμπόσιον ἄνευ ὁμιλίας, οὔτε πλοῦτος χωρίς ἀρετῆς ἡδονήν ἔχει.

Ἔοικεν ὁ τῶν φιλαργύρων βίος νεκροῦ δείπνῳ. Πάντα γάρ ἔχων, τόν εὐφρανθησόμενον οὐκ ἔχει. Οὔτε παρά νεκροῦ ὁμιλίαν, οὔτε παρά φιλαργύρου δεῖ χάριν ἐπιζητεῖν. Τοῦ μέλιτος μέλιτται τάχιον ἔρχονται ἐπ᾿ αἴσθησιν· τοῦ κέρδους δέ, οἱ φιλάργυροι.

Σφαγή ἐστι τοῦ φιλαργύρου ἡ τοῦ χρήματος ἡ πρός τό κέρδος ἐπιθυμία· ὅθεν ἡ τοῦ χρήματος ἀφαίρεσις, ὥσπερ αἵματος, ἐπιφέρει τόν θάνατον αὐτῷ.

Ἑτοιμάζονταί τινες διά τοῦ βίου τά πρός τόν βίον, ὡς βιωσόμενοι μετά τόν βίον.

Τούς πλουσίους δέ καί ἀπλήστους ὑδρωπιῶσιν ἐοικέναι ἔλεγεν· οἱ μέν γάρ πεπλησμένοι ὑδάτων διψῶσιν, οἱ δέ χρημάτων.

Οὔτε ἵππος εὐγενής κρίνοιτ᾿ ἄν πολυτελῆς σκευήν ἔχων· ἀλλ᾿ ὁ τῇ φύσει λαμπρός· οὔτε ἀνήρ σπουδαῖος ὁ πολύτιμον οὐσίαν κεκτημένος, ἀλλ᾿ ὁ τήν ψυχήν γενναῖος.

Καταφρόνει τῶν περί τόν πλοῦτον σπουδαζόντων, χρῆσθαι δέ τοῖς ὑπάρχουσι μή δυναμένων. Παραπλήσιον γάρ οἱ τοιοῦτοι πάχουσιν, ὡσπερ ἄν εἴ τις ἵππον κτήσαιτο καλόν, κακῶς ἱππεύειν ἐπιστάμενος.

Μεγαλόφρονας νόμιζε, μή τούς μείζονα περιβαλλομένους, ὧν οἷοί τέ εἰσι κατασχεῖν, ἀλλά τούς μετρίων μέν ἐφιεμένους, ἐργάζεσθαι δέ δυναμένους, οἷς ἄν ἐπιχειρῶσι.

Ἀριστοτέλ.Ἡ πενία πολλῶν ἐστιν ἐνδεής· ἡ δέ ἀπληστία πάντων.