15b
But what seems to me most dreadful is this: some people who cannot even offer poverty as an excuse, but who are well supplied with money, and some who are even rich, nonetheless dare not to rear their later-born children, so that the earlier-born may be better off, contriving abundance for their children out of an unholy act — since they do away with their children's brothers so that those brothers may have a larger share of the family estate. They fail to understand, wretchedly, how much better it is to have many brothers than to have much money. For money stirs up plots from those nearby, whereas brothers ward off plotters. Money itself needs protection, whereas brothers are the strongest of protectors. And no good friend is a match, for a brother, against one who comes from other men equally like and equal to those who come from brothers. What noble thing could one compare, in respect of security, to the goodwill that comes from a brother? What partner in good things could one find more kindly disposed than a decent brother? Whose presence in misfortunes would one long for more than that of such a brother? For my part, I consider most enviable the man who lives surrounded by a multitude of brothers of one mind; and I think that man most beloved of the gods who has his good things from within his own household. Therefore I also think that each of us ought to try to leave to his own children brothers rather than money, since he will thereby leave them greater resources for good things.