HERMES 
Our friend Timon is digging ina hilly and stony
piece of ground close by. Oho, Poverty is with him,
and so is Toil; likewise Endurance, Wisdom, Manliness, and the whole host of their fellows that serve
under Captain Starvation, a far better sort than your
henchmen.
 RICHES 
Then why not beat a retreat as quickly as possible,
Hermes? We can’t accomplish anything worth
mentioning with a man that is hedged in by such an
army.
 HERMES 
Zeus thought differently, so let’s not be cowardly.

 POVERTY 
Where are you going with that person whom you
have by the hand, Hermes?
 HERMES 
Zeus sent us to Timon here.
 POVERTY 
Is he sending Riches to Timon now, when I have
made a noble and a valuable man of him, after taking
him over in a wretched plight that was due to Luxury
and putting him in charge of Wisdom and Toil?
Then am I, Poverty, so easy to slight, think you,
and so easy to wrong that I can be robbed of my

 

only possession after I have thoroughly perfected
him in virtue, in order that Riches, taking him over
again and giving him into the hands of Insolence
and Pride, may make him soft, unmanly and base as
before, and then return him to me reduced to a
clout?
 HERMES 
It was the will of Zeus, Poverty.

 POVERTY 
I am going; follow me, Toil and Wisdom and the
rest of you. ‘This man will soon find out whom he is
deserting in me—a good helpmate and a teacher of
all that is best, through whose instruction he kept
well in body and sound in mind, leading the life of
a real man, relying on himself and holding all this
abundance and excess to be nothing to him, as indeed
it is.
 HERMES 
They are going ; let us approach him.

 TIMON 
Who are you, plague take you, and what do you
want that you come here to bother a man at work
and earning his wage? You will go away sorry
that you came, vile wretches that you are, every one
of you; for I'll very soon throw these clods and
stones at you and break every bone in your bodies.
 HERMES 
No, no, Timon! don’t throw at us, for we are not
men. I am Hermes and this is Riches. We were
sent by Zeus in answer to your prayers. So desist
from your labours and accept prosperity, and good
luck to you!

 

 TIMON 
You shall catch it too, even if you are gods, as you
say, for I hate all alike, both gods and men, and as
for this blind fellow, whoever he may be, I shall
certainly break his head with my pick.
 RICHES 
Let’s go, Hermes, in the name of Zeus, in order
that I may not come to some harm before going ; for
the man is uncommonly crazy, it seems to me.

 HERMES 
Let’s have no roughness, Timon. Lay aside this
excessive rudeness and asperity, stretch out your
hands and take your good fortune. Be rich once
more and a leading man in Athens, and cut the
acquaintance of those ingrates of old, keeping your
wealth to yourself.
 TIMON 
I don’t want anything of you; don’t bother me. My
pick is riches enough for me, and in all other respects
I am as happy as can be if only nobody comes near
me.
 HERMES 
Such an uncivil answer, friend ?

 Will you I carry to Zeus those words so repellent
and stubborn ? Iliad, 15, 202 


True enough, it is reasonable for you to hate men
after they have treated you so horribly, but not in
the least to hate the gods, who take such good care
of you.