Book 5, Chapter 35

“Timotheus, a famous man at Athens and a leader of the state, is said to have dined with Plato and greatly enjoyed the gathering. Seeing him next day, he said, ‘Your dinners are pleasant not only at the time but the day after as well.’ What of the fact that we cannot even use our minds properly when we are full of food and drink? There is a splendid letter from Plato to Dion’s relatives, which says approximately this: ‘When I arrived there, I found nothing to like in that supposedly happy life, filled with Italian and Syracusan banquets: being stuffed twice a day, never spending a night alone, and all the other accompaniments of a life in which no one will ever become wise, much less self-controlled. What natural disposition could be so marvelously balanced?’

101 “How, then, can a life be pleasant when it lacks practical wisdom and self-control? This shows the error of Sardanapalus, that enormously wealthy king of Syria, who ordered these words to be carved on his tomb:

“‘These things I have: what I ate, what sated desire“‘Drank deep; but those many splendid things lie left behind.’

“‘What else,’ says Aristotle, ‘would you inscribe on the tomb of an ox, not a king? He says he possesses in death what even while alive he possessed no longer than the time he spent enjoying it.’

102 “Why, then, should riches be desired? Or at what point does poverty prevent us from being happy? You have a passion, I suppose, for statues and paintings. If someone delights in these things, do not people of modest means enjoy them better than those who possess them in abundance? In our city there is an immense supply of all such things on public display. Those who own them privately do not have so many and see them only rarely, when they visit their country estates; and even then something stings them as they remember where they got them. The day would fail me if I chose to plead poverty’s case. The matter is plain, and every day nature herself reminds us how few things she needs, how small they are, how cheap.”

“They say Timotheus, a distinguished man at Athens and a leader of the city, dined with Plato and greatly enjoyed the gathering. When he saw Plato the next day, he said, ‘Your dinners are enjoyable not just at the time, but the next day too.’ And what about the fact that we can’t even use our minds properly when we’re full of food and drink? There’s an excellent letter from Plato to Dion’s relatives, which says roughly this: ‘When I got there, I found no pleasure at all in that supposedly happy life, full of Italian and Syracusan feasts: eating your fill twice a day, never spending the night alone, and everything else that goes with that life. No one will ever become wise in it, much less self-controlled. What natural character could be so wonderfully balanced?’

101 “How could anyone enjoy a life without sound judgment or restraint? This exposes the mistake made by Syria’s enormously wealthy king Sardanapallus. He had the following carved on his grave: “‘Mine is the food I ate, and all my fully sated lust “‘Drank in; the many splendid things I left just lie there.’ “Aristotle remarks, ‘What different inscription would you put on the grave of an ox rather than a king? He claims to own these things in death. Even in life he owned them only for the time he was enjoying them.’

102 “So why should anyone want riches? At what point does poverty keep us from being happy? You’re keen on statues and paintings, I suppose. If someone enjoys them, don’t people of small means enjoy them better than people who own them in abundance? Our city has a vast public supply of all those things. Private owners don’t have as many and see them rarely, when they come to their country homes. And yet something stings them when they remember where they got them. The day would run out if I chose to defend poverty’s case. It’s obvious, and nature herself reminds us every day how few things she needs, how small they are, and how cheap.”