§6καὶ ταῦτα πρὸς τὴν ὀνώδη καὶ μυρμηκώδη λέγω ταύτην φιλοπλουτίαν.
And these things I say against this donkey-like and ant-like love of wealth.
ἑτέρα δʼ ἐστὶν ἡ θηριώδης, συκοφαντοῦσα καὶ κληρονομοῦσα καὶ παραλογιζομένη καὶ πολυπραγμονοῦσα καὶ φροντίζουσα καὶ ἀριθμοῦσα τῶν φίλων ἔτι πόσοι ζῶσιν, εἶτα πρὸς μηδὲν ἀπολαύουσα τῶν πανταχόθεν προσποριζομένων.
But there is another kind, the beast-like, which brings false accusations, hunts for inheritances, cheats, meddles, worries, and counts how many of one's friends are still living, and then enjoys nothing of what is procured from all quarters.
ὥσπερ οὖν ἐχίδνας καὶ κανθαρίδας καὶ φαλάγγια μᾶλλον προβαλλόμεθα καὶ δυσχεραίνομεν ἄρκτων καὶ λεόντων, ὅτι κτείνει καὶ ἀπόλλυσιν ἀνθρώπους μηδὲν χρώμενα τοῖς ἀπολλυμένοις ὑπʼ αὐτῶν· οὕτω δεῖ μᾶλλον δυσχεραίνειν τῶν διʼ ἀσωτίαν τοὺς διὰ μικρολογίαν καὶ ἀνελευθερίαν πονηρούς· ἀφαιροῦνται γὰρ ἄλλων, οἷς αὐτοὶ χρῆσθαι μὴ δύνανται μηδὲ πεφύκασιν.
Therefore, just as we rather shrink from and dislike vipers, blister-beetles, and venomous spiders than bears and lions, because they kill and destroy men without making any use of those destroyed by them; so we ought rather to dislike those who are wicked through niggardliness and illiberality than those who are so through prodigality; for they deprive others of what they themselves are unable and not naturally disposed to use.
ὅθεν ἐκεῖνοι μὲν ἐκεχειρίαν ἄγουσιν, ἐν ἀφθόνοις γενόμενοι καὶ χορηγίαν ἔχοντες· ὥσπερ ὁ Δημοσθένης; ἔλεγε πρὸς τοὺς νομίζοντας τῆς πονηρίας τὸν Δημάδην πεπαῦσθαι,
νῦν γὰρ
ἔφη
μεστὸν ὁρᾶτε, καθάπερ τοὺς λέοντας· τοῖς δʼ εἰς μηδὲν ἡδὺ μηδὲ χρήσιμον πολιτευομένοις οὐκ ἔστιν ἀνακωχὴ τοῦ πλεονεκτεῖν οὐδʼ ἀσχολία κενοῖς οὖσιν ἀεὶ καὶ προσδεομένοις ἁπάντων.
Hence the latter enjoy a truce when they have abundance and possess ample means; just as Demosthenes said to those who thought that Demades had ceased from his wickedness, "For now," he said, "you see him full, just like the lions"; but for those who engage in public affairs for nothing pleasant or useful, there is no respite from grasping, nor any leisure, since they are always empty and in need of everything.
§7ἀλλὰ νὴ Δία, φήσει τις, ὅτι παισὶν οὗτοι καὶ κληρονόμοις φυλάττουσι καὶ θησαυρίζουσι.
But, by Zeus, someone will say, they guard and hoard for their children and heirs.
πῶς;
How?
οἷς ζῶντες οὐδὲν μεταδιδόασιν, ἀλλʼ ὥσπερ τῶν μυῶν τῶν ἐν τοῖς μετάλλοις τὴν χρυσῖτιν ἐσθιόντων οὐκ ἔσται τοῦ χρυσίου μεταλαβεῖν, εἰ μὴ νεκρῶν γενομένων καὶ ἀνατμηθέντων.
To whom while living they impart nothing, but just like the mice in the mines that eat the gold-dust, there will be no sharing of the gold unless they are dead and dissected.
παισὶ δὲ καὶ κληρονόμοις διὰ τί βούλονται πολλὰ χρήματα καὶ μεγάλην οὐσίαν ἀπολιπεῖν;
And for what reason do they wish to leave much money and a large estate to their children and heirs?
ἵνα δηλονότι καὶ οὗτοι φυλάττωσιν ἑτέροις, κἀκεῖνοι πάλιν παισίν· ὥσπερ οἱ κεραμεοῖ σωλῆνες οὐδὲν ἀναλαμβάνοντες εἰς ἑαυτοὺς ἀλλʼ ἕκαστος εἰς ἕτερον ἐξ ἑαυτοῦ μεθιείς, ἄχρι ἄν τις ἔξωθεν ἢ συκοφάντης ἢ τύραννος ἐκκόψας τὸν φυλάττοντα καὶ κατεάξας ἀλλαχόσε παρατρέψῃ καὶ παροχετεύσῃ τὸν πλοῦτον· ἤ, καθάπερ λέγουσιν, εἷς ὁ πονηρότατος ἐν τῷ γένει γενόμενος, καταφάγῃ τὰ πάντων·
In order, obviously, that these too may guard it for others, and those again for their children; just like clay pipes that receive nothing into themselves but each lets it pass out of itself to another, until some informer or tyrant from without, having knocked out the guardian and broken the pipe, diverts and channels the wealth elsewhere; or, as they say, one who is the most wicked in the race, appearing, devours the substance of all.
οὐ γὰρ μόνον γίγνεται δούλων τέκνα
"ἀκόλασθʼ ὁμιλεῖν γίνεται δούλων τέκνα"
ἀλλὰ καὶ μικρολόγων ὥς που καὶ Διογένης ἐπέσκωψεν εἰπὼν
Μεγαρέως ἀνδρὸς βέλτιον εἶναι κριὸν ἢ υἱὸν γενέσθαι. καὶ γὰρ οὓς δοκοῦσι παιδεύειν ἀπολλύουσι καὶ προσδιαστρέφουσιν ἐμφυτεύοντες τὴν αὑτῶν φιλαργυρίαν καὶ τὴν μικρολογίαν, ὥσπερ φρούριον τῆς κληρονομίας ἐνοικοδομοῦντες τοῖς κληρονόμοις.
For not only do slaves' children become "slaves' children become undisciplined in association" but also those of niggardly men, as Diogenes somewhere mocked, saying, "It is better to be a Megarian's ram than his son." For indeed, those whom they seem to educate, they ruin and further corrupt, instilling their own love of money and niggardliness, as if building a fortress of the inheritance in the heirs.
ταῦτα γάρ ἐστιν ἃ παραινοῦσι καὶ διδάσκουσι
κέρδαινε καὶ φείδου, καὶ τοσούτου νόμιζε σαυτὸν ἄξιον ὅσον ἂν ἔχῃς. τοῦτο δʼ οὐκ ἔστι παιδεύειν, ἀλλὰ συστέλλειν καὶ ἀπορράπτειν ὥσπερ βαλλάντιον, ἵνα στέγειν καὶ φυλάττειν τὸ εἰσβληθὲν δύνηται.
For these are the things they advise and teach: "Get gain and spare, and deem yourself worth as much as you possess." But this is not to educate, but to draw together and sew up, just like a purse, so that it may be able to hold and guard what has been cast into it.
καίτοι τὸ μὲν βαλλάντιον ἐμβληθέντος τοῦ ἀργυρίου γίγνεται ῥυπαρὸν καὶ δυσῶδες; οἱ δὲ τῶν φιλαργύρων παῖδες πρὶν ἢ παραλαμβάνειν τὸν πλοῦτον ἀναπίμπλανται τῆς φιλοπλουτίας ἀπʼ αὐτῶν τῶν πατέρων.
And yet, while the purse becomes filthy and ill-smelling when the money is cast into it, the children of the avaricious, before they receive the wealth, are infected with the love of wealth by their very fathers.
καὶ μέντοι τῆς διδασκαλίας καὶ μισθοὺς ἀξίους ἀποτίνουσιν αὐτοῖς, οὐ φιλοῦντες ὅτι πολλὰ λήψονται, ἀλλὰ μισοῦντες ὅτι μήπω λαμβάνουσι· μηδὲν γὰρ ἄλλο θαυμάζειν ἢ τὸν πλοῦτον μαθόντες μηδʼ ἐπʼ ἄλλῳ τινὶ ζῆν ἢ τῷ πολλὰ κεκτῆσθαι, κώλυσιν τοῦ ἰδίου βίου τὸν ἐκείνων ποιοῦνται, καὶ νομίζουσιν αὑτῶν ἀφαιρεῖσθαι τὸν χρόνον, ὅσον ἐκείνοις προστίθησι.
And indeed, for this teaching they also pay them worthy rewards, not loving them because they will receive much, but hating them because they do not yet receive it; for having learned to admire nothing else but wealth, and to live for nothing else but possessing much, they regard the life of those fathers as a hindrance to their own life, and believe that as much time as is added to them is taken away from themselves.
διὸ καὶ ζώντων μὲν ἔτι τῶν πατέρων λανθάνοντες ἁμωσγέπως παρακλέπτουσι τῆς ἡδονῆς καὶ ἀπολαύουσιν ὥσπερ ἀλλοτρίων μεταδιδόντες φίλοις, ἀναλίσκοντες εἰς ἐπιθυμίας ἔτι ἀκούοντες ἔτι μανθάνοντες.
Therefore, while their fathers are still living, escaping notice in some way or other, they steal some pleasure and enjoy it as if sharing others' goods with friends, spending on desires while still listening, still learning.
ὅταν δʼ ἀποθανόντων τὰς κλεῖς παραλάβωσι καὶ τὰς σφραγῖδας, ἕτερον βίου σχῆμα αὐτοῖς ἐστι καὶ πρόσωπον ἀγέλαστον αὐστηρὸν ἀνέντευκτον οὐ κολοφὼν οὐ σφαῖρα οὐ τραχηλισμὸς οὐκ Ἀκαδήμεια οὐ Λύκειον, ἀλλʼ οἰκετῶν ἀνάκρισις καὶ γραμματείων ἐπίσκεψις καὶ πρὸς οἰκονόμους ἢ χρεώστας διαλογισμὸς καὶ ἀσχολία καὶ φροντὶς ἀφαιρουμένη τὸ ἄριστον καὶ συνελαύνουσα νυκτὸς εἰς τὸ βαλανεῖον
"γυμνάσια δʼ οἷσιν ἐνετράφη Δίρκης θʼ ὕδωρ παρώδευται· "
κἂν εἴπῃ τις
οὐκ ἀκούσῃ τοῦ φιλοσόφου; ʼ
πόθεν ἐμοί; ʼ
φησίν· οὐ σχολάζω τοῦ πατρὸς τεθνηκότος. ὦ ταλαίπωρε, τί σοι τοιοῦτο καταλέλοιπεν οἷον ἀφῄρηται, τὴν σχολὴν καὶ τὴν ἐλευθερίαν;
But when they receive the keys and seals after their fathers' death, they assume another style of life, and a face without laughter, austere, inaccessible—no spinning of tops, no ball-playing, no wrestling, no Academy, no Lyceum, but interrogation of slaves, inspection of ledgers, accounts with stewards or debtors, and busy care and anxiety that robs them of dinner and drives them at night to the bath: "The gymnasia in which they were reared, and the water of Dirce, are passed by." And if someone says, "Will you not listen to the philosopher?" "Whence should I have the leisure?" he says; "I have no leisure now that my father is dead." Wretched man, what has he left you of such a kind as that which has been taken away, namely, leisure and freedom?
μᾶλλον δʼ οὐκ ἐκεῖνος ἀλλʼ ὁ πλοῦτος περιχυθεὶς καὶ κρατήσας, ὥσπερ ἡ παρʼ Ἡσιόδῳ γυνὴ
"εὔει ἄτερ δαλοῦ καὶ ἐν ὠμῷ γήραϊ θῆκεν; "
ὥσπερ ῥυτίδας ἀώρους ἢ πολιὰς ἐπαγαγὼν τῇ ψυχῇ τὰς φροντίδας ἐκ τῆς φιλαργυρίας καὶ τῆς ἀσχολίας, ὑφʼ ὧν μαραίνεται τὸ γαῦρον καὶ τὸ φιλότιμον καὶ τὸ φιλάνθρωπον.
Or rather, not he, but wealth, poured around you and having got the mastery, just like the woman in Hesiod: "singes without a brand, and brings on raw old age," bringing upon the soul, like untimely wrinkles or gray hairs, anxieties from the love of money and from lack of leisure, by which what is noble, ambitious, and philanthropic is withered away.