§77λέγειν ἃ κρύπτειν ἦν παρεσκευασμένος.
...to speak what I was prepared to keep secret.
§78ἐγὼ γάρ εἰμι Πλοῦτος.
For I am Plutus.
O most abominable of all men, did you then keep silent while being Plutus?
§80σὺ Πλοῦτος, οὕτως ἀθλίως διακείμενος;
You, Plutus, in such a wretched state?
O Phoebus Apollo and gods and divinities and Zeus, what do you say?
ἐκεῖνος ὄντως εἶ σύ;
Are you truly he?
§82bναί.
Yes.
§83ἐκεῖνος αὐτός;
He himself?
§83bαὐτότατος.
His very self.
I come from Patrocles' house, who has not washed himself ever since he was born.
§86τουτὶ δὲ τὸ κακὸν πῶς ἔπαθες;
But how did you suffer this misfortune?
κάτειπέ μοι.
Tell me.
§87ὁ Ζεύς με ταῦτʼ ἔδρασεν ἀνθρώποις φθονῶν.
Zeus did this to me, envying mankind.
§88ἐγὼ γὰρ ὢν μειράκιον ἠπείλησʼ ὅτι §89ὡς τοὺς δικαίους καὶ σοφοὺς καὶ κοσμίους §90μόνους βαδιοίμην· ὁ δέ μʼ ἐποίησεν τυφλόν, §91ἵνα μὴ διαγιγνώσκοιμι τούτων μηδένα.
For when I was a youth, I threatened that only to the just and wise and orderly would I go; but he made me blind, so that I might not distinguish any of them.
§92οὕτως ἐκεῖνος τοῖσι χρηστοῖσι φθονεῖ.
Thus does he envy the good.
And yet indeed it is only because of the good and the just that he is honored.
§94bὁμολογῶ σοι.
I agree with you.
§94cφέρε τί οὖν;
Come then, what of it?
If you should receive your sight again just as before, would you now flee from the wicked?
§96bφήμʼ ἐγώ.
I say I would.
§97ὡς τοὺς δικαίους δʼ ἂν βαδίζοις;
And would you go to the just?
Most certainly; for I have not seen them for a long time.
§99καὶ θαῦμά γʼ οὐδέν· οὐδʼ ἐγὼ γὰρ ὁ βλέπων.
And no wonder; for neither have I, who can see.
§100ἄφετόν με νῦν.
Let me go now.
ἴστον γὰρ ἤδη τἀπʼ ἐμοῦ.
For you already know my story.
§101μὰ Δίʼ ἀλλὰ πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἑξόμεσθά σου.
By Zeus, but we will hold onto you much more.
Did I not say that you were going to make trouble for me?
§103bκαὶ σύ γʼ ἀντιβολῶ πιθοῦ, §104καὶ μή μʼ ἀπολίπῃς· οὐ γὰρ εὑρήσεις ἐμοῦ §105ζητῶν ἔτʼ ἄνδρα τοὺς τρόπους βελτίονα.
And you, I entreat you, comply, and do not abandon me; for you will not find a man of better character than me, even if you search.
§106μὰ τὸν Δίʼ οὐ γὰρ ἔστιν ἄλλος πλὴν ἐγώ.
By Zeus, for there is no other except me.
§107ταυτὶ λέγουσι πάντες· ἡνίκʼ ἂν δέ μου §108τύχωσʼ ἀληθῶς καὶ γένωνται πλούσιοι, §109ἀτεχνῶς ὑπερβάλλουσι τῇ μοχθηρίᾳ.
All men say this; but when they actually happen to obtain me and become rich, they absolutely exceed all bounds in wickedness.
§110ἔχει μὲν οὕτως, εἰσὶ δʼ οὐ πάντες κακοί.
It is indeed so, yet not all are bad.
§111μὰ Δίʼ ἀλλʼ ἁπαξάπαντες.
By Zeus, but absolutely everyone is.
§111bοἰμώξει μακρά.
You will suffer greatly for this.
But so that you may know how many good things will be yours if you stay with us, pay attention so that you may learn.
§114οἶμαι γὰρ οἶμαι, σὺν θεῷ δʼ εἰρήσεται, §115ταύτης ἀπαλλάξειν σε τῆς ὀφθαλμίας §116βλέψαι ποιήσας.
For I think—I think, and with God's help be it spoken— that I shall rid you of this blindness, by making you see.
§116bμηδαμῶς τοῦτʼ ἐργάσῃ.
By no means do this.
§117οὐ βούλομαι γὰρ πάλιν ἀναβλέψαι.
For I do not wish to see again.
§117bτί φῄς;
What do you say?
§118ἅνθρωπος οὗτός ἐστιν ἄθλιος φύσει.
This man is miserable by nature.
If Zeus should learn of their folly and of me, he would destroy me.
But does he not do this now, who lets you wander around stumbling?
§122οὐκ οἶδʼ· ἐγὼ δʼ ἐκεῖνον ὀρρωδῶ πάνυ.
I do not know; but I dread him greatly.
§123ἄληθες ὦ δειλότατε πάντων δαιμόνων;
Truly, O most cowardly of all divinities?
§124οἴει γὰρ εἶναι τὴν Διὸς τυραννίδα §125καὶ τοὺς κεραυνοὺς ἀξίους τριωβόλου, §126ἐὰν ἀναβλέψῃς σὺ κἂν σμικρὸν χρόνον;
For do you think that the tyranny of Zeus and his thunderbolts are worth three obols, if you should receive your sight even for a short time?
§127ἆ μὴ λέγʼ ὦ πόνηρε ταῦτʼ.
Ah, do not say such things, wretched man!
§127bἔχʼ ἥσυχος.
Keep quiet.
For I will demonstrate that you are far more powerful than Zeus.
§129bἐμὲ σύ;
You, me?
§129cνὴ τὸν οὐρανόν.
By heaven.
§130αὐτίκα γὰρ ἄρχει διὰ τίνʼ ὁ Ζεὺς τῶν θεῶν;
For instance, through whom does Zeus rule the gods?
§131διὰ τἀργύριον· πλεῖστον γάρ ἐστʼ αὐτῷ.
Through money; for he has the most of it.
Come, who then is the one who provides him with this?
§132bὁδί.
This man here.
§133θύουσι δʼ αὐτῷ διὰ τίνʼ;
And through whom do they sacrifice to him?
οὐ διὰ τουτονί;
Is it not through this man?
§134καὶ νὴ Δίʼ εὔχονταί γε πλουτεῖν ἄντικρυς.
And by Zeus, they pray outright to be rich.
Is he not then the cause, and could he not easily stop these things, if he wished?
§136bὅτι τί δή;
Why so?
§137ὅτι οὐδʼ ἂν εἷς θύσειεν ἀνθρώπων ἔτι, §138οὐ βοῦν ἄν, οὐχὶ ψαιστόν, οὐκ ἄλλʼ οὐδὲ ἕν, §139μὴ βουλομένου σοῦ.
Because not a single man would sacrifice anymore, neither an ox, nor a barley-cake, nor anything else at all, if you do not wish it.
§139bπῶς;
How?
§139cὅπως;
How?
οὐκ ἔσθʼ ὅπως §140ὠνήσεται δήπουθεν, ἢν σὺ μὴ παρὼν §141αὐτὸς διδῷς τἀργύριον· ὥστε τοῦ Διὸς §142τὴν δύνομιν, ἢν λυπῇ τι, καταλύσεις μόνος.
There is no way anyone will buy anything, unless you are present and give the money yourself; so that you alone, if he causes any trouble, will destroy the power of Zeus.
§143τί λέγεις;
What do you say?
διʼ ἐμὲ θύουσιν αὐτῷ;
Do they sacrifice to him because of me?
§143bφήμʼ ἐγώ.
I say so.
And by Zeus, if there is anything bright and beautiful or pleasing to men, it happens because of you.
§146ἅπαντα τῷ πλουτεῖν γάρ ἐσθʼ ὑπήκοα.
For all things are obedient to wealth.
I myself, indeed, for a little money have become a slave, perhaps because of not being rich.