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Nilus. It is good to abide by the limits of need, and to strive with all one's strength not to transgress them. For if one is carried away a little by desire for the pleasures of life, then no one can stop the forward momentum.

The measure of possession is the need of the body; but to exceed this is disorder, and it is no longer a need. For just as a tunic that is well-fitted to the body is both a need and an adornment; but one that flows down on all sides and gets entangled in the feet, and is dragged on the ground unseemly, becomes an impediment to all work; so the use of things that exceeds the need of the body is both an impediment to virtue, and is much condemned by (805) those who are able to examine the nature of things.

Clement. Lovers of needing little, but turning away from extravagance as a disease of soul and body.

The possession and use of necessities is not harmful in its quality, but in the quantity beyond measure.

Philo. The virtuous man who has few needs is on the borderline between immortal and mortal nature; having want on account of his mortal body; but not having many needs, on account of a soul striving for immortality.

Democr. With self-sufficiency of food, the night is never short.

Cleitarch. We ought to accustom ourselves to live on little, so that we may learn nothing shameful for the sake of money.

Socrat. Socrates, having been asked by someone, "Who seems to you to be the richest?" said: "He who is content with the least; for self-sufficiency is the wealth of nature."

As if for the journey of life, do not gather provisions of great value, but those that are most necessary.

It is better to be cheerful while being confined to a small fortune, than to be unhappy while possessing a great one.

Alexandr. When one of those who seemed to be well-disposed said to him, that "Your cities are able to provide more revenue," he said: "I hate the gardener who cuts the vegetables out by the roots."

Democrit. Fortune sets a lavish table, but moderation sets a self-sufficient one.

From Epictetus and Isocrat. Self-sufficiency, like a short and pleasant road, has great grace and little toil.

Fortify yourself with self-sufficiency; for this is a place that cannot be captured.

Socrat. When Xanthippe was rebuking her husband Socrates, because he was preparing frugally to receive friends, he said: "If they are our friends, it will not matter to them; but if they are strangers, it will not matter to us about them."

DISCOURSE 14.

Concerning prayer.

304

Νείλου. Καλόν τοῖς ὅροις τῆς χρείας ἐμμένειν, καί φιλονεικεῖν πάσῃ δυνάμει τούτους μή ὑπερβαίνειν. Ἐάν γάρ ὀλίγον παρενεχθῇ τις ἀπό τῆς ἐπιθυμίας ἐπί τά ἡδέα τοῦ βίου, οὐδείς λοιπόν ἴστησι τήν ἐπί τά πρόσω φοράν.

Μέτρον κτήσεώς ἐστιν ἡ χρεία τοῦ σώματος· τό δέ ταύτην ὑπερβαίνειν ἀκοσμία λοιπόν, καί οὐκέτι χρεία ἐστίν. Ὡς γάρ ὁ συμμεμετρημένος, τῷ σώματι χιτών, καί χρεία ἐστί καί κόσμος· ὁ δέ πάντοθεν περιῤῥέων καί τοῖς ποσίν ἐμπλεκόμενος, καί τῇ γῇ μετά τοῦ ἀπρεποῦς ἐπισυρόμενος, ἐμπόδιον πρός πᾶσαν ἐργασίαν γίνεται· οὕτως ἡ ὑπερβαίνουσα τήν τοῦ σώματος χρείαν χρῆσις, καί πρός τήν ἀρετήν ἐστιν ἐμπόδιον, καί πολλήν ἔχει κατάγνωσιν παρά (805) τοῖς τήν φύσιν τῶν πραγμάτων ἐρευνᾷν δυναμένοις.

Κλήμεντ. Ὀλιγοδεΐας μέν ἐρασταί, πολυτέλειαν δέ, ὡς ψυχῆς καί σώματος νόσον ἐκτρεπόμενοι.

Ἡ τῶν ἀναγκαίων κτῆσις καί χρῆσις, οὐ τήν ποιότητα βλαβεράν ἔχει, ἀλλά τήν παρά τό μέτρον ποσότητα.

Φίλωνος. Ὁ σπουδαῖος καί ὀλιγοδεής, ἀθανάτου καί θνητῆς φύσεως μεθόριον· τό μέν ἐπιδεές ἔχων διά τό σῶμα θνητόν· τό δέ μή πολυδεές, διά ψυχήν ἐφιεμένην ἀθανασίας.

∆ημοκρ. Αὐταρκίῃ τροφῆς, μικρά νύξ οὐδέποτε γίνεται.

Κλειτάρχ. Ὀφείλομεν ἑαυτούς ἐθίζειν ἀπό ὀλίγων ζῇν, ἵνα μηδέν αἰσχρόν ἕνεκεν χρημάτων μάθωμεν.

Σωκράτ. Σωκράτης ἐρωτηθείς ὑπό τινος, Τίς σοι πλουσιώτερος εἶναι δοκεῖ, εἶπεν· Ὁ ἐλαχίστοις ἀρκούμενος· αὐτάρκεια γάρ ἐστι φύσεως πλοῦτος.

Ὥσπερ εἰς ὁδόν τόν βίον, οὐ τά πολλοῦ ἄξια συντίθει ἐφόδια, ἀλλά ἀναγκαιότερα.

Βέλτιόν ἐστιν ἐν μιᾷ περιουσίᾳ συστελλόμενον εὐθυμεῖν, ἤ μεγάλης τυγχάνοντα δυστυχεῖν.

Ἀλέξανδρ. Εἰπόντος αὐτῷ τινος τῶν δοκούντων εὐνοεῖν, ὅτι ∆ύνανται αἱ πόλεις σου πλεῖον παρέχειν ἐξόδους, ἔφη· κηπουρόν μισῶ τόν ἐκ ῥιζῶν ἐκτέμνοντα τά λάχανα.

∆ημοκρίτ. Τράπεζαν πολυτελέα μέν τύχη παρατίθησιν, αὐταρκέα δέ σωφροσύνη.

Ἐκ τῶν Ἐπικτήτου καί Ἰσοκράτ. Αὐτάκρεια, καθάπερ ὁδός βραχεῖα καί ἐπιτερπής, χάριν μέν ἔχει μεγάλην πόνον δέ μικρόν.

Ὀχύρωσον σαὐτόν τῇ αὐταρκείᾳ· τοῦτο γάρ δισάλωτόν ἐστιν χωρίον.

Σωκράτ. Ξανθίππης Σωκράτει τῷ ἀνδρί ἐπιτιμώσης, διότι λιτῶς παρεσκευάζετο ὑποδέξασθαι φίλους, εἶπεν· Εἰ μέν ἡμέτεροί εἰσιν, οὐδέν ἐκείνοις μελήσει· εἰ δέ ἀλλότριοι, ἡμῖν περί αὐτῶν οὐδέν μελήσει.

ΛΟΓΟΣ Ι∆´.

Περί προσευχῆς.