You might examine the examples of humor which demonstrate the foolish practices and beliefs of the wealthy in The Pot of Gold by Plautus.

Money is often revered for its ability to bring freedom from the stresses of life; however, Plautus explores the way wealth creates additional tension and anxiety through rather absurd characterizations. For example, Euclio becomes so paranoid that his wealth might be stolen from him that he decides to put it inside a pot and "carry it round everywhere" under his arm. This is an impractical approach to guarding his wealth but demonstrates the lengths the wealthy will go to in order to preserve their own status. He becomes highly suspicious of everyone around him, even believing that a "woman's pet rooster" is nearly the cause of his ruin when it begins scratching around the place where the gold was buried.

Growing increasingly focused on his wealth, Euclio is blinded to other things which should concern him, such as the fact that his daughter has been violated. His suspicions cloud his judgment and impact his relationships; he believes that his daughter's wedding plans are merely one more ploy to steal his gold. Although it is easy to chuckle at Euclio's missteps in judgment, the play provides a satirical examination of the negative influences of wealth. Plautus therefore characterizes Euclio as a comical miser in order to explore themes of greed and to examine the way an individual's pursuit of wealth can become all-consuming.