“Lydian Croesus is not that much different from Ithacan Irus.”
Lydus Dulichio non distat Croesus ab Iro
Note: Croesus, the king of Lydia, was famous for his wealth to such an extent that his name became associated with the stock character of the “rich man.” Irus is the beggar whom Odysseus nearly kills in a sparring match in The Odyssey.
Note 2: Perhaps a pithy quote is not effective if it requires a note substantially longer than the original expression in order to explain it to the general reader?
I vaguely recall Odysseus observing that hunger can drive people to do just about anything.