I am a Greek by birth ; my parents were poor people living at Smyrna *. I was an only son , and trained to my father's profession – that of a cooper . When I was twenty years old both my parents died , and I was left to look after myself . I had for some time been working for a Jewish wine-merchant , and I continued doing so for three years after my parent's death , when something happened which led first to wealth and success and then to my present misery .