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He who is not able to stop his own desire, even if he possesses all things, how is this one ever in plenty?

Plutarch. Those who spend from shameful gains on noble public services, do something similar to those who practice piety from sacrilege.

Democritus. Wealth arising from evil work is possessed for a more manifest reproach.

To acquire money is not useless; but from injustice, it is the worst of all things.

Socrates. He compared the covetous to birds; of which one swallows whatever it might happen upon, and sometimes it chokes; and the others follow, hurrying to take it away, so that they might be choked in turn.

Diogenes. Having been asked what beasts were more dangerous, he said, In the mountains, bears and lions; but in the cities, tax-collectors and sycophants.

Antiphanes. Evil gains have small pleasures, but long sorrows.

Euripides. For whichever man is by nature inclined to have more, thinks nothing just nor wishes for it. And he is unsociable to friends, and to the whole city.

(857) A certain man having caught someone stealing his stones, and that one saying, "I did not know that they were yours," he said, "But you knew that they were not yours either."

Menander. Covetousness is the greatest evil for men. Those wishing to acquire the things of their neighbors, often fail, being overcome; And they add their own things to those of others.

Plato. Theft of money is illiberal; but robbery is shameless.

Philemon. If we do not even use those things which we have, but seek those things which we do not have, we will be deprived of some things through chance, and of others through ourselves.

Euripides. But if someone being fortunate, and having possessed a living, nevertheless attempts nothing of noble things; I, for one, would never call him blessed, but rather a fortunate guardian of possessions.

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Ὁ τήν ἑαυτοῦ μή δυνάμενος στῆσαι ἐπιθυμίαν, κἄν τά πάντων περιβέβληται, πῶς οὗτος ἔστι ἐν εὐπορίᾳ ποτέ;

Πλουτάρχου. Οἱ ἀπό τῶν αἰσχρῶν κερδῶν εἰς τάς καλάς ἀναλίσκοντες λειτουργίας, ὅμοιόν τι ποιοῦσι, τοῖς ἀπό τῆς ἱεροσυλίας θεοσεβοῦσιν.

∆ημοκρίτ. Πλοῦτος ἀπό κακῆς ἐργασίας ἐπιγινόμενος, ἐπί φανερώτερον ὄνειδος, κέκτηται.

Χρήματα πορίζειν μέν, οὐκ ἀχρεῖον· ἐξ ἀδικίας δέ πάντων κάκιον.

Σωκράτης. Τούς πλεονέκτας εἴκαζε ταῖς ὄρνισιν· ὧν ἡ μέν καταπίνει, ὅ τι ἄν προστύχῃ, καί ἔστιν ὅταν πνίγεται· αἱ δ᾿ ἄλλαι παρακολουθοῦσιν ἀφελεῖν αὐτό σπεύδουσαι, ἵνα παρά μέρος πνιγῶσιν.

∆ιογένης. Ἐρωτηθείς, ποῖα εἴη θηρία χαλεπώτερα, εἶπεν, Ἐν μέν τοῖς ὄρεσιν, ἄρκοι καί λέοντες· ἐν δέ ταῖς πόλεσι, τελῶναι καί συκοφάνται.

Ἀντιφάνους. Τά μέν πονηρά κέρδη, τάς μέν ἡδονάς ἔχει μικράς, τάς δέ λύπας μακράς.

Εὐριπίδ. Ὅστις γάρ ἐπί τό πλεῖον ἔχει πέφυκ' ἀνήρ, Οὐδέν φρονεῖ δίκαιον οὐδέ βούλεται. Φίλοις τ' ἄμικτός ἐστι, καί πάσῃ πόλει.

(857) Καταλαβών τίς τινα λίθου αὐτοῦ κλέπτοντα, κἀκείνου λέγοντος, ὅτι Οὐκ ἐγίνωσκον ὅτι σοί εἰσιν, ἔφη, Ἀλλ᾿ ᾔδεις ὅτι οὐδέ σοί.

Μεάνδρου. Πλεονεξία μέγιστον ἄνθρώποις κακόν. Οἱ μέν θέλοντες προσλαβεῖν τά τῶν πέλας, Ἀποτυγχάνουσι πολλάκις νικώμενοι· Τά δ᾿ ἴδια προστιθέασι τοῖς ἀλλοτρίοις.

Πλάτωνος. Κλοπή μέν χρημάτων, ἀνελεύθερον· ἀρπαγή δέ, ἀναίσχυντον.

Φιλήμ. Ἐάν οἷς ἔχωμεν, τούτοις μηδέ χρώμεθα, Ἅ δ᾿ οὐκ ἔχομεν ταῦτα ζητοῦμεν, Ὧν μέν διά τύχην, ὧν δέ δι᾿ ἑαυτούς ἐσόμεθα ἐστερημένοι.

Εὐριπίδ. Εἰ δ᾿ εὐτυχῶν τις, καί βίον κεκτημένος, Μηδέν δ᾿ ὅμως τι τῶν καλῶν πειράσεται· Ἐγώ μέν αὐτόν οὔποτ᾿ ὄλβιον καλῶ, Φύλακα δέ μᾶλλον χρημάτων εὐδαίμονα.