Fish And Men

Τροφὴ δὲ ἰχθύσιν ἄλλοις ἄλλη κατὰ γένος διωρισμένη. Οἱ μὲν γὰρ ἰλύϊ τρέφονται, οἱ δὲ τοίς φυκίοις· ἄλλοι ταίς βοτάναις ταίς ἐντρεφομέναις τᾥ ὔδατι ἀρκοῦνται. Ἀλληλοφάγοι δὲ τῶν ἰχθύων οἱ πλείστοι, καὶ ὁ μικρότερος παρ’ ἐκείνοις βρῶμά ἐστι τοῦ μείζονος. Κάν ποτε συμβῇ τὸν τοῦ ἐλάττονος κρατήσαντα ἑτέρου γενέσθαι θήραμα, ὑπὸ τὴν μίαν ἄγονται γαστέρα τοῦ τελευταίου. Τί οὖν ἡμείς οἱ ἄνθρωποι ἄλλο τι ποιοῦμεν ἐν τῇ καταδυναστείᾳ τῶν ὑποδεεστέρων; τί διαφέρει τοῦ τελευταίου ἰχθύος ὁ τῇ λαιμάργῳ φιλοπλουτίᾳ τοϊς ἀπληρώτοις τῆς πλεονεξίας αὐτοῦ κόλποις ἐναποκρύπτων τοὺς ἀσθενεὶς; Ἐκείνος εἶχε τὰ τοῦ πένητος σὺ τοῦτον λαβὼν μέρος ἐποιήσω τῆς περιουσίας σεαυτοῦ. Ἀδίκων ἀδικώτερος ἀνεφάνης, καὶ πλεονεκτικώτερος πλεονέκτου. Ὅρα μὴ τὸ αὐτό σε πέρας τῶν ἰχθύων ἐκδέξηται, ἄγκιστρόν τοι, ἢ κύρτος, ἢ δίκτυον. Πάντως γὰρ καὶ ἡμείς πολλὰ τῶν ἀδίκων διεξελθόντες, τὴν τελευταίαν τιμωρίαν οὐκ ἀποδρασόμεθα. Ἅγιος Βασιλειος Καισαρείας, Εις Την ῾Εξαημερον, Ὁμιλὶα Z' Source: Migne PG 29.152c-153a

The food of fish differs according to species. Some feed on sediment; others on sea weed; others prefer the herbs that grow in water. But most of them devour each other, and the smaller is food for the larger. And when one which has possessed itself of a fish weaker than itself becomes a prey to another, the conqueror and the conquered are both swallowed up in the one belly of the last. And we men, do we act otherwise when we oppress inferiors? What difference between the last fish and he who, driven by love of wealth, devours the weak in the folds of his overreaching avarice? That man took the goods of the poor; you caught him and made him a part of your abundance. More unrighteous than the unrighteous you show yourself, and more greedy than the greedy. Look to the end lest you be exhibited as a fish, by hook, by trap, or by net. For surely we too, having accomplished many deeds of the wicked, shall not escape a final punishment. Saint Basil of Caesarea, Hexameron, from Homily 7