‘And seeing that antiquity (possession of long standing) appears to be a near approach to a natural gift or endowment’ (i. e. to carry with it a claim or right, nearly approaching to that conferred by nature), ‘of two parties, that have possession of the same good, the one that has come by it recently, and thereby attained his prosperity, provokes the higher degree of indignation: for the nouveaux riches give more offence than those whose wealth is transmitted from olden time and by right of family (or inheritance): and the like may be said of magistracies (offices of state), of power (in general), of abundance of friends, of happiness in children (a fair and virtuous family), and anything else of the same sort. Or again, any other good that accrues to them, due to the same causes; for in fact in this case again the newly enriched who have obtained office by their wealth (been promoted in consequence of their wealth) give more pain (or offence) than those whose wealth is hereditary. And the like in all similar cases’. Comp. II 16. 4. ἀρχαιόπλουτος, ἀρτίπλουτος, νεόπλουτος, all occur in other authors. The first in Aesch. Agam. 1043, Blomf. Gloss. 1010, Soph. El. 1393, and Lysias [Or. 19 § 49] ap. Blf. Gl. ἀρτίπλουτος as a synonym of the third is found in Eur. Suppl. 742, and νεόπλουτος twice in Rhet. II 16. 4; as a term of contempt, Demosth. περὶ τῶν πρὸς Ἀλέξανδρον συνθηκῶν § 23, p. 2181; Arist. Vesp. 1309, νεοπλούτῳ τρυγί.
1 The use of the word νεόπλουτος is assigned to the author of the argument as one of the reasons for ascribing the speech rather to Hyperides than Demosthenes.
Commentary on the Rhetoric of Aristotle. Edward Meredith Cope. Cambridge. Cambridge University Press. 1877.
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