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and very powerful city. Homer bears witness to its wealth, for in his enumeration of places of great opulence, he says, Not all that is brought to Orchomenus, or to Aegyptian Thebes. note Of its power there is this proof, that the Thebans always paid tribute to the Orchomenians, and to Erginus their king, who it is said was put to death by Hercules. Eteocles, one of the kings that reigned at Orchomenus, first displayed both wealth and power. He built a temple dedicated to the Graces, who were thus honoured by him, either because he had been fortunate in receiving or conferring favours, or perhaps for both these reasons.
[For one who was inclined thus to honour these goddesses, must have been naturally disposed to be a benefactor,
and he must have possessed the power. But for this purpose
wealth is required. For he who has not much cannot give
much, nor can he who does not receive much possess much;
but when giving and receiving unite, then there is a just exchange. For a vessel which is simultaneously emptied and
filled is always full; but he who gives and does not receive
cannot succeed in either giving or receiving, for the giver
must desist from giving from failure of means. Givers also
will desist from giving to him who receives only, and confers
no benefits, so that he must fail in receiving. The same may
be said of power. For independently of the common saying,
That money is the thing most highly valued,
Euripides, Phoen. 422
And has the greatest influence in human affairs, note
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Strabo, Geography (English) (XML Header) [genre: prose] [word count] [lemma count] [Str.].