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Never count a man blessed for wealth and glory; for all such good things are bound by a lesser faith.

Not the one who is rich, but the one who does not need wealth, is blessed. (797) The greatest thing about wealth is to know that it is superfluous. If you do not desire many things, the few will seem many. For a small appetite will make poverty equal in strength

to wealth.

Wealth according to nature is fulfilled with bread and water and any available shelter for the body. But the superfluous, endless according to the soul, also has the torment of desire.

The same man, when asked how one might become rich, said: "If he will be poor in desires."

In as many things as depend on nature, we are all rich; but in as many as depend on us, we are all poor.

The one who is content with wealth according to nature is much richer than the one who possesses many things but desires more. For to the one, nothing is lacking; but to the other, even much more than what he possesses.

The excessive gathering of money for children is a pretext for avarice, convicting it in its own way.

The poor have escaped the greatest of evils: plotting, envy and hatred, with which the rich live every day.

Diogenes. Diogenes the Cynic philosopher, having been asked by someone why gold is pale, said: "Because it has many plotters against it."

The same man, seeing the servants of Anaximenes carrying about many vessels, asked, "Whose are these?" And when they said, "Anaximenes'," he said, "Is he not ashamed to have all these things, when he does not have himself?"

Socrates. Wine changes with the vessels; but wealth, with the characters of those possessing it.

Sweat from exercises is more seemly; and wealth, from one's own labors.

He likened the money of the rich and profligate to fig-trees on cliffs, from which a man takes nothing, but crows and kites do, just as from these men, courtesans and flatterers do.

The same man, having been asked who are the lovers of money, said: "Those who hunt for shameful gains, and who look down on their necessary friends."

The wealth of the avaricious, like the sun having set into the earth, gladdens none of the living.

Of Euripides in Danaë. O gold, most beautiful object for mortals, How not even a mother has such pleasures, Nor children for men, nor a dear father. If Cypris sees with her eyes so much,

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Μηδέποτε μακαρίσεις ἄνθρωπον ἐπί πλούτῳ καί δόξῃ· πάντα γάρ τά τοιαῦτα τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἐλάττονι πίστει δέδεται.

Οὐχ ὁ πλουτῶν, ἀλλ᾿ ὁ μή χρῄζων πλούτου μακάριος. (797) Μέγιστόν ἐστι πλούτου, τό γινώσκειν ὅτι περιττός, ἐστιν. Ἄν μή πολλῶν ἐπιθυμεῖς, τά ὀλίγα πολλά δόξει. Μικρά γάρ ὄρεξις πενίαν ἰσοσθενῆ

πλούτου ποιήσει.

Ὁ κατά φύσιν πλοῦτος, ἄρτῳ καί ὕδατι καί τῇ τυχούσῃ τοῦ σώματος σκέπῃ, συμπεπλήρωται. Ὁ δέ περιττός, κατά ψυχήν ἀπέραντος, ἔχειν καί τήν τῆς ἐπιθυμίας βάσανον.

Ὁ αὐτός ἐρωτηθείς, πῶς ἄν τις γένηται πλούσιος· Ἐάν τῶν ἐπιθυμιῶν ἔσται πένης, φησίν.

Ὅσα μέν ἐπί τῇ φύσει, πάντες ἐσμέν πλούσιοι· ὅσα δ᾿ ἐφ᾿ ἡμῖν, πάντες ἐσμέν πένητες.

Ὁ τῷ κατά φύσιν ἀρκούμενος πλούτῳ, τοῦ πολλά κεκτημένου, πλείονα δέ ἐπιθυμοῦντος, πολύ ἐστι πλουσιώτερος. Τῷ μέν γάρ οὐδέν ἐλλείπει· τῷ δέ, καί ὧν κέκτηται πολλῷ πλείονα.

Ἡ τέκνοις ἄγαν χρημάτων συναγωγή, πρόφασίς ἐστι φιλαργυρίας, τρόπον ἴδιον ἐλέγχουσα.

Τά μέγιστα τῶν κακῶν οἱ πενητες ἐκπεφεύγασι· ἐπιβουλήν, φθόνον καί μῖσος· οἷς οἱ πλούσιοι καθ᾿ ἡμέραν συνοικοῦσιν.

∆ιογένης. ∆ιογένης ὁ Κυνικός φιλόσοφος, ἐρωτηθείς ὑπό τινος, διά τί τό χρυσίον χλωρόν ἐστιν, εἶπεν· Ὅτι πολλούς ἐπιβούλους ἔχει.

Ὁ αὐτός ἰδών τούς Ἀναξιμένους οἰκέτας πολλά σκεύη περιφέροντας, ἤρετο· Τίνος ταῦτα; Τῶν δέ εἰπόντων, Ἀναξιμένους, οὐκ αἰδεῖται, φησί, ταῦτα ἔχων ἅπαντα, αὐτός ἑαυτόν μή ἔχων;

Σωκράτης. Ὁ μέν οἶνος συμμεταβάλλεται τοῖς ἀγγείοις· ὁ δέ πλοῦτος, τοῖς τῶν κεκτημένων τρόποις.

Ἵδρως μέν ἐκ τῶν γυμνασίων εὐσχημονέστερον· πλοῦτος δέ, ἐκ τῶν ἰδίων πόνων.

Τά τῶν πλουσίων καί ἀσώτων χρήματα, ταῖς ἐπί τῶν κρημνῶν συκέαις εἴκαζεν, ἀφ᾿ ὧν ἄνθρωπον μέν μή λαμβάνειν, κόρακας δέ καί ἰκτίνους, ὥσπερ παρά τούτων ἑταίρας καί κόλακας.

Ὁ αὐτός ἐρωτηθείς, τίνες οἱ φιλοχρήματοι, ἔφη· Οἱ τά αἰσχρά κέρδη θηρώμενοι, καί τούς ἀναγκαίους τῶν φίλων ὑπερορῶντες.

Ὁ τῶν φιλαργύρων πλοῦτος, ὥσπερ ὁ ἥλιος καταδύς εἰς τήν γῆν, οὐδένα τῶν ζώντων εὐφραίνει.

Εὐριπίδου ἐν ∆αναῇ. Ὦ χρυσέ δεξίωμα κάλλιστον βροτοῖς, Ὡς οὐδέ μήτηρ ἡδονάς τοίας ἔχει, Οὐ παῖδες ἀνθρώποισιν, οὐ φίλος πατήρ. Εἰ δ' ἡ Κύπρις τοσοῦτον ὀφθαλμοῖς ὁρᾷ,