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And these too, do not gain only to be feasted splendidly, but also bring down their hands filled with costly gifts.

Of the Theologian. It is of the same difficulty, both to acquire something good that one does not have, and to preserve it once it is acquired.

For the love of honor provides to many the eagerness for spending; but where the increase is not apparent, the giving is also more sluggish.

Chrysostom. If you were the guardian of a child, and having taken his possessions, you overlooked him being in extreme need, you would have ten thousand accusers, and you would have paid the penalty from the laws; but having taken the things of Christ, and spending them so vainly, do you not think you will give an account.

Of Dion. Never be eager to spend money in vain, from which no good repute is gained. For true wealth is amassed not so much from receiving much, as from not spending much.

Of Menander. For those who thoughtlessly spend their own living, To be well spoken of quickly makes all things ill. Of Chilon. Spending on what one ought not, you will be short for what one ought. Not to possess wealth does not bring so much harm; but to the things that are, badly

to have used them, destroys, they say, the life of one who has used it so.

(968) Plutarch. The life of the profligate, as if dying daily, is carried out for burial.

And seeing a rich but profligate man eating olives and drinking water, he said: If you had breakfasted this way, you would not be dining this way.

Of Cypselus. It is better to die while being frugal, than to be in want while living.

Plato. Plato the wise, seeing a well-born youth who had profligately spent his paternal inheritance, and was eating bread and drinking water at the doors of an inn, said to him: If you had breakfasted this way by choice, you would not be dining this way.

Diogenes. The same man, approaching a certain youth who had devoured his patrimony, asked him for ten drachmas. And when he asked the reason, why he takes an obol from others, but asks ten drachmas from him, he said that, "From the others I hope to receive many times; but from you, no longer."

Xenophon. For not to receive good things is not so hard, as to be deprived of them after receiving them.

Of Diphilus. It is a task to gather a heap in much time, But it is easy to squander it in a day. Zeno. Zeno to those apologizing for their own profligacy, and saying,

that they were spending from great abundance, said: "Will you then also pardon the cooks, if they say they have made the dishes too salty, because they have an abundance of salt."

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καί οὗτοι δέ, οὐ τό ἑστιαθῆναι λαμπρῶς μόνον κερδαίνουσιν, ἀλλά καί τάς χεῖρας πεπληρωμένας πολυτελῶν δώρων κατάγουσιν.

Θεολόγου. Τῆς αὐτῆς δυσχερείας ἐστί, καί κτήσασθαί τι τῶν ἀγαθῶν οὐχ ὑπάρχον, καί κτηθέν διασώσασθαι.

Τοῦ μέν γάρ δαπανᾷν ἡ φιλοδοξία τοῖς πολλοῖς παρέχει τό πρόθυμον· οὗ δέ ἀφανής ἡ ἐπίδοσις, καί τό παρέχειν ἀμβλύτερον.

Χρυσόστ. Εἰ παιδός ἐπιτρόπευες, καί λαβών τά αὐτοῦ περιεώρας αὐτόν ἐν τοῖς ἐσχάτοις ὄντα, μυρίους ἄν εἶχες κατηγόρους, καί τήν ἀπό τῶν νόμων ἔδωκας ἄν δίκην· τά δέ τοῦ Χριστοῦ λαβών, καί οὕτως μάτην ἀναλίσκων, οὐχ ἡ γῇ δώσειν εὐθύνας.

∆ίωνος. Μηδέποτε μάτην χρήματα σπούδαζε ἀναλίσκειν, ἐξ οὗ οὐδεμία προσγίνεται εὔκλεια. Πλοῦτος γάρ ἀκριβής, οὐχ οὕτως ἐκ τοῦ πολλά λαμβάνειν, ὡς ἐκ τοῦ μή πολλά ἀναλίσκειν ἀθροίζεται.

Μενάνδρου. Τούς τόν ἴδιον δαπανῶντες ἀλογίστως βίον, Τό καλῶς ἀκούειν, ταχύ ποιεῖ πᾶσι κακῶς. Χίλωνος. ∆απανώμενος ἐφ᾿ ἅ μή δεῖ, ὀλίγος ἔσῃ ἐφ᾿ ἅ δεῖ. Τό μή κεκτῆσθαι πλοῦτον, βλάβην οὐ κομίζει τοσαύτην· τό δέ τοῖς οὖσι κακῶς

κεκχρῆσθαι, ἀπόλλυσιν τόν οὕτως, φασί, κεχρημένου βίον.

(968) Πλουτάρχ. Ὁ τῶν ἀσώτων βίος, ὥσπερ καθ᾿ ἡμέραν ἀποθνήσκων ἐκφέρεται.

Πλούσιον δέ ἄσωτον θεασάμενος ἐλαίας ἐσθίοντα καί ὕδωρ πίνοντα, ἔφη· Εἰ οὕτως ἠρίστας, οὐκ ἄν οὕτως ἐδείπνεις.

Κυψέλλου. Φειδόμενον κρεῖττον ἀποθανεῖν, ἤ ζῶντα ἐνδεῖσθαι.

Πλάτων. Πλάτων ὁ σοφός, ἰδών μειράκιον εὐγενές ἀσώτως τήν γονικήν οὐσίαν ἀναλώσαντα, καί ἐπί θύραις πανδοχείου ἄρτον ἐσθίοντα καί ὕδωρ πίνοντα, πρός αὐτόν ἔφη· Εἰ οὕτως κατά γνώμην ἠρίστας, οὐκ ἄν οὕτως ἐδείπνεις.

∆ιογένης. Ὁ αὐτός προσελθών τινι μειρακίῳ, καταβεβρωκότι τά πατρῷα, ᾔτει αὐτόν δέκα δραχμάς. Τοῦ δέ τήν αἰτίαν ἐρομένου, δι᾿ ἥν παρά μέν τῶν ἄλλων ὀβολόν λαμβάνει, παρά δέ αὐτοῦ δραχμάς δέκα αἰτεῖ, εἶπεν, ὅτι Παρά μέν τῶν ἄλλων ἐλπίζω λήψεσθαι πολλάκις· παρά σοῦ δέ οὐκέτι.

Ξενοφῶντ. Οὐ γάρ μή λαβεῖν τά ἀγαθά οὕτω χαλεπόν, ὡς τό λαβόντα στερηθῆναι.

∆ιφίλου. Ἔργον συναγαγεῖν σωρόν ἐν πολλῷ χρόνῳ, Ἐν ἡμέρα δέ διαφορῆσαι ῥᾴδιον. Ζήνων. Ζήνων πρός τούς ἀπολογουμένους ὑπέρ τῆς αὑτῶν ἀσωτίας, καί λέγοντας,

ἐκ πολλοῦ περιόντος ἀναλίσκειν, ἔλεγεν· Εἴ που καί τοῖς μαγείροις συγνώσεσθι, ἐάν ἁλμυρά λέγωσι πεποιηκέναι τά ὄψα, ὅτι πλῆθος ἁλῶν αὐτοῖς ὑπάρχει.