Epictetus · c. 50 – c. 135 CE
Fragments 21 — Epictetus
Translation by George Long (1877)
Epictetus, Fragments 21
Wealth is not one of the good things; great expenditure is one of the bad; moderation (σωφροσύνη) is one of the good things. And moderation invites to frugality and the acquisition of good things: but wealth invites to great expenditure and draws us away from moderation. It is difficult then for a rich man to be moderate, or for a moderate man to be rich.
Cite this passage
Epictetus, Fragments 21, tr. George Long (1877)
https://whatwouldstoicsdo.com/passage/epictetus-fragments/21
Epictetus, Enchiridion and Fragments, tr. George Long (1877). Text: Standard Ebooks (CC0). Sources and licences
In plain English
AI-written notesMoney is not itself a good, and heavy spending is a bad habit that wealth tends to feed. Self-restraint pushes you toward living simply and gaining what is truly good, while riches pull you toward lavish spending, so it is hard to be both rich and restrained.
Older wording
- “moderation”
- — self-restraint, knowing your limits
- “great expenditure”
- — heavy, lavish spending
Themes and situations
- Wealth and poverty
- Simplicity and frugality
- Self-discipline and habit
- Desire and craving
- Money, status and wanting more
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