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Solomon 5. What has our pride profited us? What good has riches with our boasting brought us? All those things are passed away like a shadow, and like a post that hastes by; as a ship that passes over the waves of the water, of which when it is gone by, the trace cannot be found, nor the pathway of its course in the waves; as when a bird has flown through the air, there is no token of her way to be found.

Sirach 11. Many tyrants have sat down upon the ground; and one that was never thought of has worn the crown.

Of Basil. Just as, therefore, it is impossible for the sea to remain the same for long; for the one that is now smooth and steady, a little later you will see roughened by the violence of the winds; and again the one growing wild and seething with the surge, a deep calm has smoothed over, so too the affairs of life easily take turns in either direction.

Of the Theologian. By nature, nothing of human affairs is stable or even or self-sufficient; but a certain cycle runs through our affairs, bringing different changes at different times, often within a single day, and sometimes even an hour; and it is better to trust inconstant breezes, and the tracks of a sea-faring ship, and the deceitful dreams of the night, whose pleasure is for a short time, and whatever shapes children make in the sand while playing, than in the prosperity of men.

Of Chrysostom. For just as the flow of abundant waters, receiving what flows upon it, raises up bubbles; and some of them burst as soon as they are formed, while others, having swelled up more, afterwards also burst; in the same way the sea of this life, has covered those who appeared for a short time, and has submerged even those who lasted longer.

(1008) When all your affairs are prospering, expect a change; and again, when surrounded by unexpected misfortunes, hope for good and better things.

The splendors of the present life are more useless than dead bodies. When you are in the fair weather of life, expect also at some time a winter of affairs. To be zealous about appearances, is characteristic of those who no hope of the coming

age have laid up for themselves. Of Nilus. Let not the conspicuous and splendid things shown in this world deceive us

affairs. For it passes away completely, and nothing of what appears is stable. When all your affairs are prospering, expect loss. Of Dio the Roman. Many grieve over better things, and many also over

worse things rejoice. For how many who are rich are vexed! And how many who are poor are pleased! Beauty and strength have harmed some, shame and weakness have helped others. Some honor peace before war, others wish to make war rather than have peace. And do not some who are always tyrants lament? And the greatest thing, very many live unpleasantly; and very many die with pleasure.

Socrates. To be proud in prosperity is the same thing as to run a race on a slippery road.

Aristonymus. Life is like a theater. Therefore often the worst men hold the best place in it.

Democritus. With the changes of the times, even the very powerful become in need of the weaker.

Hippothoön. Being a man, be mindful of the common lot.

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Σολομ. ε´. Τί ὠφέλησεν ἡμᾶς ἡ ὑπερηφανία ἡμῶν; Τί ὁ πλοῦτος μετά ἀλαζονείας συμβέβληται ἡμῖν; Παρῆλθε πάντα ἐκεῖνα ὡς σκιά, καί ὡς ἀγγελία διατρέχουσα· ὡς ναῦς διερχομένη κυμαινόμενον ὕδωρ, ἧς διαβάσης οὐκ ἔστιν ἴχνος εὑρεῖν, οὐδέ ἀτραπόν πορείας αὐτῆς ἐν κύμασιν, ὡς ὀρνέου διαπαντός ἀέρα οὐδέν εὑρίσκεται τεκμήριον πορείας.

Σιράχ ια´. Πολλοί τύραννοι ἐκάθισαν ἐπί ἐδάφους· ὁ δέ ἀνυπονόητος ἐφόρεσε διάδημα·

Βασιλείου. Ὥσπερ οὖν θάλασσαν ἀμήχανον ἐπί πολύ τήν αὐτήν διαρκέσαι· ήν γάρ νῦν λείαν καί σταθηράν, μικρόν ὕστερον ὄψει βίαις ἀνέμων τραχυνομένην· καί πάλιν τήν ἀγριαίνουσαν καί βρασσομένην τῷ κλύδωνι, βαβεῖα γαλήνη κατεστόρεσεν, οὕτω καί τά τοῦ βίου πράγματα ῥᾳδίως λαμβάνει περιστροφάς ἐφ᾿ ἑκάτερα.

Θεολόγου. φύσει μέν οὐδέν τῶν ἀνθρωπίνων βέβαιον οὐδέ ὁμαλόν οὐδέ αὔταρκες· ἀλλά κύκλος τις τῶν ἡμετέρων περιτρέχει πραγμάτων, ἄλλοτε ἄλλας ἐπί μιᾶς ἡμέρας πολλάκις, ἔστι δέ ὅτε καί ὥρας, φέρων μεταβολάς· καί αὔραις μᾶλλόν ἐστι πιστεύειν οὐχ ἱσταμέναις, καί νηός ποντοπορούσης ἴχνεσιν, καί νυκτός ἀπατηλοῖς ὀνείρασιν, ὧν πρός ὀλίγον ἡ χάρις, καί ὅσα κατά ψάμμον παῖδες τυποῦσι παίζοντες, ἤ ἀνθρώπων εὐημερίαις.

Χρυσοστ. Ὥσπερ γάρ ἡ τῶν πλουσίων ὑδάτων φορά, δεξαμένη τό ἐπιῤῥέον, πομφόλυγας διανίστησι· καί αἱ μέν αὐτῶν ἅμα τῷ γενέσθαι ἐῤῥάγησαν, αἱ δέ πλεῖον ὀγκωθεῖσαι, μετέπειτα καί αὐταί ἐῤῥάγησαν· τόν αὐτόν τρόπον ἡ θάλασσα τοῦ βίου τούτου, τούς μέν ὀλίγον φανέντας ἐκάλυψε, τούς δέ ἐπιπλεῖον διαρκέσαντας καί αὐτούς κατεπόντισεν.

(1008) Πάντων σου τῶν πραγμάτων κατευοδουμένων, ἐκδέχου μεταβολήν· καί πάλιν ὑπό τῶν ἀπροσδοκήτων συμφορῶν κυκλούμενος, ἔλπιζε τά χρηστά καί κρείττονα.

Νεκρῶν ἀχρηστότερα τά λαμπρά τοῦ παρόντος βίου. Ἐν τῇ εὐδίᾳ ὤν τοῦ βίου, ἐκδέχου ποτέ καί χειμῶνα πραγμάτων. Τό περί τά φαινόμενα τήν σπουδήν ἔχειν, ἴδιόν ἐστιν τοῖς μηδεμίαν τοῦ μέλλοντος

αἰῶνος ἑαυτοῖς ὑποτιθεμένοις ἐλπίδα. Νείλου. Μή ἐξαπάτω ἡμᾶς ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ τούτῳ περιφανῆ καί λαμπρά δεικνύμενα

πράγματα. Παρέρχεται γάρ πάντως, καί οὐδέν τῶν φαινομένων στάσιμον. Πάντων σου τῶν πραγμάτων κατευοδουμένων, ἐκδέχου ζημίαν. ∆ίωνοςῬωμαίου. Πολλοί μέν ἐπί τοῖς ἀμείνοσιν ἀλγοῦσι, πολλοί δέ καί ἐπί τοῖς

χείροσι χαίρουσι. Πόσοι μέν γάρ πλουτοῦντες ἄχθονται! Πόσοι δέ πενόμενοι ἥδονται! Ἄλλους κάλλος καί ἰσχύς ἔβλαψεν, ἄλλους αἶσχος καί ἀσθένεια ὠφέλησεν. Ἕτεροι τήν εἰρήνην πρό τοῦ πολέμου τιμῶσιν, ἕτεροι πολεμεῖν μᾶλλον ἤ εἰρήνην ἐθέλουσι. Τί δ᾿ οὐκ ἀεί τυραννοῦντές τινες ὀλοφύρονται; Καί τό μέγιστον, πλεῖστοι μέν ὅσοι ἀηδῶς ζῶσιν· πλεῖστοι δέ ἡδέως ἀποθνήσκουσιν.

Σωκράτης. Ταυτόν ἐστιν ἐπι εὐτυχίᾳ μέγα φρονεῖν, καί ἐπί ὀλισθηρᾶς ὁδοῦ σταδιοδρομεῖν.

Ἀριστωνύμ. Ἔοικεν ὁ βίος θεάτρῳ. ∆ιό πολλάκις χείριστοι τόν κάλλιστον ἐν ἑαυτοῖς κατέχουσι τόπον.

∆ημοκρίτ. Ταίς τῶν καιρῶν μεταβολαῖς, καί οἱ σφόδρα δυνατοί τῶν ἀσθενεστέρων ἐνδεεῖς γίνονται.

Ἱπποθοούντ. Ἄνθρωπος ὤν, μέμνησο τῆς κοινῆς τύχης.