riches outweigh virtue; lovers of money take the place of lovers of honour
 Plato, The Republic. copy citation

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Author Plato
Source The Republic
Topic money virtue
Date
Language English
Reference
Note Translated by Benjamin Jowett
Weblink http://www.gutenberg.org/files/1497/1497-h/1497-h.htm

Context

“nor is it difficult to see how such a State arises. The decline begins with the possession of gold and silver; illegal modes of expenditure are invented; one draws another on, and the multitude are infected; riches outweigh virtue; lovers of money take the place of lovers of honour; misers of politicians; and, in time, political privileges are confined by law to the rich, who do not shrink from violence in order to effect their purposes. Thus much of the origin,—let us next consider the evils of oligarchy.” source