Money

this is why money is called nomisma (customary currency), because it does not exist by nature but by custom (nomos), and can be altered and rendered useless at will.

for such a standard makes all things commensurable, since all things can be measured by money.

It is clear that before money existed this is how the rate of exchange was actually stated—five beds for a house—since there is no real difference between that and the price of five beds for a house.

when several are jointly interested in money, it is pleasant to have no disagreement in going over the accounts;

And how much, pray, asked Critobulus, laughing, would your property fetch at a sale, do you suppose, Socrates, and how much would mine?

You imply, Socrates, that even money isn’t wealth to one who doesn’t know how to use it.

and in order that trade might be carried on more easily, somewhat later they invented money, which, as the derivation of the word shows, is a civic institution.

As to money, it may be observed that its uses do not result from any value intrinsically belonging to the precious metals, or to the specific denomination and shape of coin, but from the general application which can be made of it, as a standard of payment for all commodities.

So money sent to sea by way of venture is something compounded of a contract, of a loan, and of an insurance.

As, for instance, a person gives his labour for money, which in the daily transactions of life is called hire or wages:

consider — had your father, while in that state, bequeathed his money to someone, would you have acknowledged it?

And likewise, were we told, Ibrāhīm has no money, it does not follow from it that he has no intellect, nor that he is intelligent;

Meanwhile the people of Phlius, partly because they had been commended by Agesipolis for giving him a large sum of money for his campaign and giving it speedily, partly because they thought that with Agesipolis abroad Agesilaus would not take the field against them, and that it never would happen that both the kings would be outside of Sparta at the same time, boldly refused to grant any of their …

They persuaded Sphodrias, the Lacedaemonian governor at Thespiae, — by giving him money, it was suspected, — to invade Attica, that so he might involve the Athenians in war with the Lacedaemonians.

Whenever any Phliasians came out of the city either from friendship or kinship with the exiles, he instructed the latter to form common messes of their own with such of the new-comers as were ready to undertake the army training, and to supply money enough for provisions;

For he kept in subjection not only the pleasures of the body, but those too that money brings, in the belief that he who takes money from any casual giver puts himself under a master and endures the basest form of slavery.

Besides you refuse to take money, the mere getting of which is a joy, while its possession makes one more independent and happier.

Socrates, I supposed that philosophy must add to one’s store of happiness.

So you make their souls more righteous by putting money into their purses?

On the contrary, some of them have an even greater dislike of me than before they got the money.

Because they know that they have the wherewithal to buy the necessities of life, and so they are reluctant to expose themselves to the hazards of crime.