[13,35] ὅταν δὲ ἐληλυθότες ἦτε ἐπ´ ἄκρον ἀρετῆς, οὐδενός· καὶ οἰκίας μικροτέρας καὶ ἀμείνους οἰκήσετε, καὶ οὐ τοσοῦτον ὄχλον θρέψετε ἀνδραπόδων ἀργῶν καὶ πρὸς οὐδὲν χρησίμων. τὸ δὲ πάντων παραδοξότατον· ὅσῳ γὰρ ἂν εὐσεβέστεροι καὶ ὁσιώτεροι γένησθε, τοσούτῳ ἐλάττων ἔσται παρ´ ὑμῖν ὁ λιβανωτὸς καὶ τὰ θυμιάματα καὶ τὰ στεφανώματα, καὶ θύσετε ἐλάττους θυσίας καὶ ἀπ´ ἐλάττονος δαπάνης, καὶ τὸ πᾶν πλῆθος τὸ νῦν παρ´ ὑμῖν τρεφόμενον πολὺ ἔλαττον ἔσται, καὶ ἡ ξύμπασα πόλις, ὥσπερ ναῦς κουφισθεῖσα, ἀνακύψει τε καὶ πολὺ (36) ἔσται ἐλαφροτέρα καὶ ἀσφαλεστέρα. ταὐτὰ δὲ ταῦτα καὶ Σίβυλλαν εὑρήσετε μαντευομένην ὑμῖν καὶ Βάκιν, εἴπερ ἀγαθὼ χρησμολόγω καὶ μάντις ἐγενέσθην. ὡς δὲ νῦν τὰ παρόντα διάκειται, χρημάτων ἕνεκα πλήθους, ἃ πάντα πανταχόθεν εἰς ἕνα τοῦτον ἤθροισται τὸν τόπον, τρυφῆς ἐπικρατούσης καὶ πλεονεξίας, ὅμοιόν ἐστιν ὥσπερ εἰ τὴν τοῦ Πατρόκλου πυρὰν κοσμήσας ὁ Ἀχιλλεὺς πολλῶν μὲν ξύλων, πολλῶν δὲ σωμάτων καὶ ἐσθῆτος, ἔτι δὲ πιμελῆς τε καὶ ἐλαίου πρὸς τούτοις, παρακαλεῖ τοὺς ἀνέμους σπένδων καὶ θυσίας ὑπισχνούμενος ἐλθόντας ἐμπρῆσαί τε καὶ ἀνάφαι. τὰ γὰρ τοιαῦτα οὐχ ἧττόν γε πέφυκεν ἐξάπτειν τὴν τῶν ἀνθρώπων ὕβριν καὶ ἀκολασίαν. οὐ μέντοι ἔλεγον ὡς χαλεπὸν αὐτοῖς παιδευθῆναι, ἐπεὶ καὶ τἄλλα, ἔφην, οὐδενὸς βελτίους πρότερον ὄντες ὅσα ἐβουλήθητε ῥᾳδίως ἐμάθετε· λέγω δὲ ἱππικὴν καὶ τοξικὴν καὶ ὁπλιτικήν. - - -.

[13,35] and when you have reached the summit of virtue, not at all. And the houses in which you live will be smaller and better, and you will not support so great a throng of idle and utterly useless slaves and—the most paradoxical thing of all—the more god-fearing and pious you become, the less frankincense and fragrant offerings and garlands there will be among you, and you will offer fewer sacrifices and at less expense, and the whole multitude that is now being supported in your city will be much smaller ; while the entire city, like a ship that has been lightened, will ride higher and be much more buoyant and safer. (36) These same pronouncements you will find were made both by Sibylla and by Bacis, if it be true that the two of them proved to be good soothsayers and seers. But as your possessions are now, on account of the great amount of wealth, all of which has been collected from all the world into this one place, luxury and covetousness being prevalent, the situation is similar to that in which Achilles, after heaping high the pyre of Patroclus with many logs of wood, with many coverlets and garments, and also with fat and olive oil in addition, summons the winds, with libations and the promise of sacrifices, to corne and set it afire and burn it. For such possessions as yours are no less likely to kindle the wanton spirit and licentiousness of human beings." I did not, however, maintain that it was difficult for them to become educated, "for," said I,"although you have hitherto been no whit better then other men, you learned easily enough all the other things that you wished." I refer to horsemanship, archery, fighting in heavy armour - - -.