“Come now, said Socrates, tell us again, Antisthenes, how you pride yourself on wealth despite such a humble estate.”
“For I believe, people, that wealth and poverty are not in the house, but in the soul! I see many who, despite having great wealth, consider themselves so poor that they accept any effort and danger in order to acquire more. I also know of brothers who have received an equal share, yet one of them has enough and even more to spare, while the other lacks everything. I hear of some tyrants who are so hungry for money that they commit even more terrible deeds than the poorest. Some steal out of necessity, others burglarize homes, and others resort to robbery. There are tyrants who destroy entire houses, kill countless people, and often sell whole cities into slavery. I truly pity them for their severe illness, as it seems to me that they are no different from those who have much and eat much but never have their fill…”
“Because those who are most content with what they have, desire the least of what belongs to others. It is worth keeping in mind that…” Such wealth makes people free. For even Socrates, from whom I received it, did not count or weigh it for me, but gave me as much as I could carry. And now I do not deny it to anyone, but show my willingness to all friends and distribute from the wealth in my soul to anyone who wants it…
Banquet, Xenophon
Edited by Nataša Žaja