44.1 Οὗτοι οἱ λόγοι ἀσύνακτοι· «ἐγώ σου πλουσιώτερός εἰμι, ἐγώ σου ἄρα κρείττων·» «ἐγώ σου λογιώτερος, ἐγώ σου ἄρα κρείττων.» ἐκεῖνοι δὲ μᾶλλον συνακτικοί «ἐγώ σου πλουσιώτερός εἰμι, ἡ ἐμὴ ἄρα κτῆσις τῆς σῆς κρείττων·» «ἐγώ σου λογιώτερος, ἡ ἐμὴ ἄρα λέξις τῆς σῆς κρείττων.» σὺ δέ γε οὔτε κτῆσις εἶ οὔτε λέξις.

    You Are Not Better because You Have Money

    Wealth or eloquence does not by itself make one person superior (κρείττων) to another. See Diss. 3.14.11–14: we can be superior to another person only in matters which are in our control, such as virtue, reverence, justice.

    σου: gen. of comparison (G 509b; S. 1069 and 1431)


    ἀσύνακτος, -ον, illogical, incomplete

    πλούσιος, -α, -ον, rich, wealthy

    λόγιος, -α, -ον, eloquent

    συνακτικός, -ή, -όν, logical, conclusive

    κτῆσις, -εως, ἡ, possession, property

    λέξις, -εως, ἡ, diction, eloquence

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    Suggested Citation

    Albert Watanabe, Epictetus: Encheiridion. Carlisle, Pennsylvania: Dickinson College Commentaries, 2020. ISBN: 978-1-947822-13-9.
    https://dcc.dickinson.edu/el/epictetus-encheiridion/chapter-44