θνῄσκων Ἑρμοκράτης ὁ φιλάργυρος ἐν διαθήκαις
αὑτὸν τῶν ἰδίων ἔγραφε κληρονόμον .
ψηφίζων δ ἀνέκειτο πόσον δώσει διεγερθεὶς
ἰητροῖς μισθοῦ , καὶ τί νοσῶν δαπανᾷ :

ὡς δ εὗρε πλείω δραχμὴν μίαν , ἢν διασωθῇ ,

λυσιτελεῖ θνῄσκειν , εἶπε , καὶ ἐξετάθη .
κεῖται δ οὐδὲν ἔχων ὀβολοῦ πλέον οἱ δὲ τὰ κείνου
χρήματα κληρονόμοι ἥρπασαν ἀσπασίως .

Hermocrates the miser when he was dying wrote himself his own heir in his will , and he lay there reckoning what fee he must pay the doctors if he leaves his bed and how much his illness costs him . But when he found it cost one drachma more if he were saved , " It pays , " he said , " to die , " and stiffened himself out . Thus he lies , having nothing but an obol , and his heirs were glad to seize on his wealth .