Greek Anthology
4.—ΠΑΡΜΕΝΙΩΝΟΣ
Αὐτῷ τις γήμας πιθανὴν τῷ γείτονι, ῥέγχει καὶ τρέφεται· τοῦτ᾿ ἦν εὔκολος ἐργασία, μὴ πλεῖν, μὴ σκάπτειν, ἀλλ᾿ εὐστομάχως ἀπορέγχειν ἀλλοτρίᾳ δαπάνῃ πλούσια βοσκόμενον.
5.—ΚΑΛΛΙΚΤΗΡΟΣ ΜΑΝΤΙΣΙΟΥ1
Ὅστις ἔσω πυροὺς καταλαμβάνει οὐκ ἀγοράζων, κείνου Ἀμαλθείας ἁ γυνά ἐστι κέρας.
6.—ΤΟΥ ΑΥΤΟΥ
Πτωχοῦ ἐστι γάμος κυνέα μάχα, εὐθὺ κυδοιμός, λοιδορίαι, πλαγαί, ζημία, ἔργα, δίκαι.
7.—ΝΙΚΑΡΧΟΥ2
Οὐδεὶς τὴν ἰδίην συνεχῶς, Χαρίδημε, γυναῖκα βινεῖν3 ἐκ ψυχῆς τερπόμενος δύναται· οὕτως ἡ φύσις ἐστὶ φιλόκνισος, ἀλλοτριόχρως, καὶ ζητεῖ διόλου τὴν ξενοκυσθαπάτην.
8.—ΑΔΕΣΠΟΤΟΝ
Μὴ μύρα, μὴ στεφάνους λιθίναις στήλαισι χαρίζου, μηδὲ τὸ πῦρ φλέξῃς· ἐς κενὸν ἡ δαπάνη. ζῶντί μοι, εἴ τι θέλεις, χάρισαι· τέφρην δὲ μεθύσκων πηλὸν ποιήσεις, κοὐχ ὁ θανὼν πίεται.
Book XI
4.—Parmenion
A certain man, having married a woman who is complaisant to his neighbour only, snores and feeds. That was the way to get a living easily—not to go to sea, not to dig, but to snore off one’s dinner with a comfortable stomach, fattened richly at the expense of another.
5.—Callicter
He who finds wheat at home without buying it has a wife who is “a horn1 ” of plenty.
6.—By the Same
A poor man’s marriage is a dog-fight, at once the roar of battle, abuse, blows, damage, trouble and law-suits.
7.—Nicarchus
No one, Charidemus, can constantly poke his own wife and take heart-felt pleasure in it. Our nature is so fond of titillation, such a luster after foreign flesh, that it persists in whoring stealthily after strange quims.
8.—Anonymous
Bestow not scent and crowns on stone columns, nor set the fire ablaze;2 the outlay is in vain. Give me gifts, if thou wilt, when I am alive, but by steeping ashes in wine thou wilt make mud, and the dead shall not drink thereof.3