Καὶ ἐὰν μὲν ἐκποιῇ πενητεύουσι <δεῖ> μένειν ἐν τῷ βίῳ, εἰ δὲ μή, ῥᾳδίως ἀπαλλάττεσθαι ὥσπερ ἐκ πανηγύρεως. καθάπερ καὶ ἐξ οἰκίας, φησὶν ὁ Βίων, ἐξοικιζόμεθα, ὅταν τὸ ἐνοίκιον ὁ μισθώσας οὐ κομιζόμενος τὴν θύραν ἀφέλῃ, τὸν κέραμον ἀφέλῃ, τὸ φρέαρ ἐγκλείσῃ, οὕτω, φησί, καὶ ἐκ τοῦ σωματίου ἐξοικίζομαι, ὅταν ἡ μισθώσασα φύσις τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς ἀφαιρῆται τὰ ὦτα τὰς χεῖρας τοὺς πόδας· οὐχ ὑπομένω, ἀλλ’ ὥσπερ ἐκ συμποσίου ἀπαλλάττομαι οὐθὲν δυσχεραίνων, οὕτω καὶ ἐκ τοῦ βίου, ὅταν ὥρα ᾖ, “ἔμβα πορθμίδος ἔρυμα.”
(Teles, Peri Autarkeias p. 15-16 Hense)
And if it is possible, the poor should remain in life, but otherwise they should depart readily, as if from a festival. “Just as we are ejected from our house,” says Bion, “when the landlord, because he has not received his rent, takes away the door, takes away the pottery, stops up the well, in the same way,” he says, “am I being ejected from this poor body when Nature, the landlady, takes away my eyes, my ears, my hands, my feet. I am not remaining, but as if leaving a banquet and not at all displeased, so also I leave life; when the hour comes, ‘step on board the ship.'” (tr. Edward N. O’Neil)
Crambe Repetita 