"For often evil men are rich, and good men poor;
But we will not exchange with them
Our virtue for their wealth since one abides always,
While riches change their owners every day."
by:
Solon
(c.638 BC-558 BC) Athenian statesman, lawmaker, Lyric poet, renowned as a founding father of the Athenian polis, one of the Seven Sages of Greece
Date:
550 B.C.
Source:
Plutarch Solon, ch. 3; translation by Bernadotte Perrin.
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Reader comments about this quote:
Whether good or evil, it's not determined by one's economic status.
 -- jim k, Austin, Tx     
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    And from our own back yard...“If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, go home from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains set lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that ye were our countrymen.” ― Samuel Adams
     -- J Carlton, Calgary     
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    I like it. We will not exchange our virtue for wealth because riches change their owners everyday, and virtue lost is difficult to regain. It is the same old story about society and civilization -- once we vote for money at the expense of our honor, we have started down the road to perdition.
     -- E Archer, NYC     
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    I say hmmm, economic status doesn't determine a man's innate good or evil, though it may exacerbate such. At what price virtue?

     -- Mike, Norwalk     
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     -- Ronw13, Oregon      
     
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