Humanitext Reader

Theophrastus · Fragments §86f.1

Communal Dining and Simplicity Neutralizing Wealth

Passage 93 of 196 · Greek

Summary

Reflecting the words of Theophrastus, the passage describes how communal dining and simplicity of lifestyle make wealth unenvied and worthless as such.

§86f.1Fr. 86f Μεῖζον δὲ τὸ τὸν πλοῦτον ἄζηλον, ὥς φησι Θ., καὶ ἄπλουτον ἀπεργάσασθαι τῇ κοινότητι τῶν δείπνων καὶ τῇ περὶ τὴν δίαιταν εὐτελείᾳ.
But it is a greater thing, as Theophrastus says, to render wealth unenvied and no wealth at all, by means of communal meals and simplicity in lifestyle.

Notes

  1. Fr. 86fΜεῖζον — Comparative neuter singular nominative, functioning as a predicate adjective with an omitted copula. It takes the articular infinitive phrase starting with τὸ as its subject.
  2. Fr. 86fἀπεργάσασθαι — The aorist infinitive of ἀπεργάζομαι ('to render/make'), which takes a double accusative: τὸν πλοῦτον as the direct object and ἄζηλον ... καὶ ἄπλουτον as the object complements.
  3. Fr. 86fἄπλουτον — The adjective ἄπλουτος (literally 'wealthless' or 'poor') is used here as a complement to τὸν πλοῦτον ('wealth'), creating an oxymoron: 'to render wealth wealthless' (i.e., depriving it of its power or value as wealth).

Cite this passage

Theophrastus, Fragments §86f.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0093.tlg010x09.humanitext-grc1:86f.1

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