“...both wealth and concord decline as possessions become pursued and honored. And virtue perishes with them as well.”

“Wealth is the parent of luxury and indolence, and poverty of meanness and viciousness, and both of discontent.”

“virtue does not spring from riches, but riches and all other human blessings, both private and public, from virtue.”

“...when he looks at Beauty in the only way that Beauty can be seen - only then will it become possible for him to give birth not to images of virtue (because he's in touch with no images), but to true virtue [arete] (because he is in touch with true Beauty). The love of the gods belongs to anyone who has given to true virtue and nourished it, and if any human being could become immortal, it would be he.”

“Virtue is the desire of things honourable and the power of attaining them.”

“this is the greatest good to man, to discourse daily on virtue, and other things which you have heard me discussing, examining both myself and others,”

“A library of wisdom, is more precious than all wealth, and all things that are desirable cannot be compared to it. Whoever therefore claims to be zealous of truth, of happiness, of wisdom or knowledge, must become a lover of books.”