301
No wonder she fosters countless loves. Moschion. Just as it is not an adornment for the horse, nor for the birds a nest to be exalted and exultant
gives; but for the one the swiftness of its foot, and for the others that of their wings; so also for a man it is not beautification and luxury, but goodness and beneficence.
(800) If you had been born in Persia, you would not hasten to live in Greece, but to be happy living there. But having been born in poverty, why do you hasten to be rich, and not to be happy remaining there?
The prudent man, by honoring poverty with endurance and nobility, shows it to be more honorable than wealth.
A large dowry does not make better children.
Cleitarchus. Self-control is the foundation of piety; the desire for possession, the beginning of greed. For injustice springs from the love of money.
Of Cato. Glory and wealth without wisdom are not secure possessions.
Of Apollonius. It is not shameful by nature to be poor, but to be poor for a shameful reason is a reproach.
Of Eusebius. Foolish men both honor and admire those who have great wealth and are worthless; but they disdain the virtuous when they condemn them for their lack of money.
Of Menander.
One must have a rich soul; as for possessions, These are an appearance, a curtain of life. Blessed is he who has substance and sense. For such a man uses these things well for what is needful. Whoever holds out his hand for gold, even if he says nothing, plots evil things. I have never envied a very rich man who enjoys nothing of what he has. You speak, but what you speak, you speak for the sake of getting.
Of Craton.
There is no greater misfortune in life than poverty; for even if you are virtuous by nature, you will be ridiculed. It is better to be poor with honor than rich with dishonor; For the one brings pity, the other censure.
From the works of Favorinus. A Boeotian, having found a treasure after seventy years, lifting his
leg, treated it as useless and passed by, as if it were no longer of concern to him.
Just as when drinking the same wine, some become drunkenly violent, while others are calmed; so too with wealth.
301
Οὐ θαῦμ᾿ ἔρωτας μυρίους αὐτήν τρέφειν. Μοσχίων. Ὥσπερ οὐ τῷ ἵππῳ κόσμος, οὐδέ τοῖς ὄρνεσι καλιά ὑψοῦσθαι καί γαυριᾷν
δίδωσιν· ἀλλά τῷ μέν τοῦ ποδός ἡ ὠκύτης, τοῖς δέ τῶν πτερῶν· οὕτως οὐδ᾿ ἀνθρώπῳ καλλωπισμός καί τρυφή, ἀλλά χρηστότης καί εὐποιία.
(800) Ἐν Πέρσαις μέν γεννηθείς, οὐκ ἔσπευδες οἰκεῖν τήν Ἑλλάδα, ἀλλ᾿ αὐτόθι διάγων εὐτυχεῖν. Ἐν πενίᾳ δέ γεννηθείς, τί σπεύδεις πλουτεῖν, ἀλλ᾿ οὐκ αὐτόθι μένων εὐτυχεῖν;
Τήν πενίαν ὁ σώφρων καρτερίᾳ καί γενναιότητι τιμῶν, πλούτου τιμιωτέραν ἀποφαίνει.
Προίξ πολλή τέκνα βελτίονα οὐ ποιεῖ.
Κλειτάρχ. Ἐγράτεια κρηπίς εὐσεβείας· ὄρεξις κτήσεως, ἀρχή πλεονεξίας. Ἐκ γάρ φιλαργυρίας ἀδικία φύεται.
Κάτωνος. ∆όξα καί πλοῦτος ἄνευ φρονήσεως, οὐκ ἀσφαλῆ κτήματα.
Ἀπολλωνίου. Οὐ τό πένεσθαι κατά φύσιν αἰσχρόν, ἀλλά τό δι᾿ αἰσχράν αἰτίαν πένεσθαι, ὄνειδος.
Εὐσεβίου. Οἱ μάταιοι τῶν ἀνθρώπων, τούς μέν μεγάλα χρήματα ἔχοντας καί φαύλους ὄντας, τιμῶσί τε καί τεθαυμάκασι· τῶν δέ σπουδαίων, ἐπειδάν ἀχρηματείαν καταγνῶσιν, ὑπερφρονέουσιν.
Μενάνδρου.
Ψυχήν ἔχειν δεῖ πλουσίαν· τά δέ χρήματα Ταῦτ᾿ ἔστιν ὄψις παραπέτασμα βίου. Μακάριος ὅστις οὐσίαν καί νοῦν ἔχει. Χρῆται γάρ οὗτος εἰς ἅ δεῖ ταῦτα καλῶς. Ὅστις ὑπέχει χρυσίῳ τήν χεῖρα, Κἄν μή φησί, πονηρά βουλεύεται. Οὐ πώποτε ἐζήλωσα πλουτοῦντα σφόδρα Ἄνθρωπον ἀπολαύοντα μηδέν ὧν ἔχει. Λέγεις, ἅ δέ λέγεις, ἕνεκα τοῦ λαβεῖν λέγεις.
Κράτωνος.
Οὐ ἔστι πενίας μεῖζον οὐδέν ἐν βίῳ Σύμπτωμα· καί γάρ ἄν φύσει σπουδαῖος ᾖς, Καταγέλαστος ἔσῃ. Καλῶς πένεσθαι μᾶλλον ἤ πλουτεῖν κακῶς· Τό μέν γάρ ἔλεον, τό δ᾿ ἐπιτίμησιν φέρει.
Ἐκ τῶν Φαυωρίνου. Βοιωτός ἐντυχών θησαυρῷ μετά ἑβδομήκοντα ἔτη, ἐπάρας τό
σκέλος ἀπεματάϊσε καί παρῆλθεν, ὡς οὐκέτι ὄντα πρός αὐτόν.
Ὥσπερ τόν αὐτόν οἶνον πίνοντες, οἱ μέν παροινοῦσιν, οἱ δέ πραΰνονται· οὕτω καί τόν πλοῦτον.