pythius

• When Gaius Canius, a Roman knight, went to Syracuse, he said that he wanted to buy some estate, to which he could invite friends and where he could amuse himself without intruders.
• When this became widely known, a certain man, Pythius, who managed a bank at Syracuse, said to him that he had gardens, not in fact for sale but which Canius could use as his own,
•  if he wished: and at the same time he invited the fellow into his gardens for dinner.
• When he had accepted, Pythius then summoned the fishermen to him,
• and asked them to fish in front of his estate on the next day, and he told them what he wanted to do.
•  Canius came for dinner on time. Before his eyes there was a crowd of fishing boats
•  each man, according to his ability, brought what he had caught; the fish were being thrown down before the feet of pythias.
• Then Canius said ‘I beg you, Pythias what is this?
• Why is there so many fish, so many fishing boats’
• And then he said ‘What is strange? Every fish at Syracuse is in the area.
• Canius, inflamed with greed, begged Pythias to sell (the estate).
• He refused at first.
• Finally, however, the greedy rich man bought it for as much (money) as Pythias wanted.
•  Canius invited his close friends on the next day, he himself came early, he saw no boat.
• He asked the nearest neighbour whether it was a fisherman’s holiday.
• ‘Not as far as I know’, he said, ‘but no one usually fishes here.
• And so I was surprised yesterday at what happened.’
•  Canius was very angry, but what was he to do?