Philosophical and Literary Miscellany

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...he swore he would stop if you were not there.
And even Zeus himself is caught by silver; so that you alone,
if he causes any trouble, will dissolve the power of Zeus.
Wealth What are you saying? Do they sacrifice to him because of me? Chremylus That is what I say.
And by Zeus, if there is anything bright, beautiful, or charming
among men, it happens because of you.
Wealth All things are indeed subject to being wealthy.
Carion I myself, at any rate, became a slave for the sake of a
tiny bit of silver—perhaps because I was not rich.
Chremylus And they say the Corinthian courtesans Corinth was famous in antiquity for its expensive high-class prostitutes.,
whenever a poor man happens to try them,
they do not even pay attention; but if he is a rich man,
they immediately turn their backsides toward him.
Carion And they say the boys do this very same thing,
not for the sake of their lovers, but for the sake of the silver.
Chremylus Not the "good" ones, but the prostitutes! For
the "good" ones do not even ask for silver. Carion What then?
Chremylus One asks for a fine horse; another for hunting dogs.
Carion Ashamed to ask for silver, perhaps,
they sugar-coat original: "peripettousi" — literally "to bake around," meaning to disguise something unpleasant with a sweet exterior. their wretchedness with a name.
Chremylus All arts and clever inventions among men
have been discovered because of you.
For one of them sits and makes shoes.
Another works as a blacksmith; another is a carpenter.
Another is a goldsmith, having received gold from you.
One, by Zeus, is a clothes-stealer; another is a house-breaker A common term for a burglar who literally dug through the mud-brick walls of houses..
One cleans wool; another washes fleeces.
One is a tanner; another sells onions.

Wealth And the caught adulterer is plucked Adulterers caught in the act could be punished by having their pubic hair plucked out with hot ashes. because of you, I suppose.
Chremylus Woe is me! I have been overlooking original: "metelambanon" — likely a scribal error for "elelanthanon," meaning "I was unaware" or "overlooking." these things for a long time.
Wealth And that man The Great King of Persia. is king because of him. Carion Very much so!
Chremylus And does the Assembly The "ekklesia," the democratic governing body of Athens. not happen because of him?
Carion And what about the triremes The standard warships of the Athenian navy.? Do you not fill them? Chremylus That is what I say.
Carion And the mercenaries in Corinth A reference to the Corinthian War (395–387 BC) where Athens used paid foreign troops.—does he not support them?
Carion And won't Pamphilos A politician accused of embezzling public funds. weep because of him?
Carion And the needle-seller along with Pamphilos?
Carion And doesn't Agyrrios A politician who introduced pay for attending the Assembly, seen here as a sign of his self-importance. fart because of him?
Carion And doesn't Philepsios A storyteller or politician known for tall tales. tell his myths because of you?
Carion And the alliance with the Egyptians—isn't it because of you?
Carion And doesn't Lais A famous and very expensive courtesan. love Philonides because of you?
Carion And Timotheus’s tower... The general Timotheus built a massive, expensive tower on his estate. Chremylus May it fall on you!
Carion And are not all affairs conducted because of you?
For you alone are the cause of all things,
both the bad and the good, rest assured.
Chremylus They certainly prevail in wars every time,
on whichever side this one merely sits.
Wealth Am I, being but one, able to do so much?
Chremylus And by Zeus, even much more than this!
Carion So that no one has ever yet been sated with you.
Of all other things, there is a point of fullness:
Chremylus (b) Of love. Carion Of cakes. Chremylus Of manliness. Carion Of dried figs.
Chremylus (a) Of strife. Carion Of dainties. Chremylus Of music. Carion Of sweetmeats.
Chremylus Of ambition. Carion Of barley-cake. Chremylus Of generalship. Carion Of lentil soup.
Chremylus But of you, no one is ever yet sated.
Carion But if someone receives thirteen talents A talent was a massive sum of money, roughly 6,000 drachmas.,
he desires much more to receive sixteen.
And if he accomplishes this, he wants forty—
or he says his life is unlivable for him.