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Shall we be loved? Let us become good, and let us work at this, so as to have lovers always. Let no one be as zealous to acquire money, or slaves, or houses, as to be loved, as to have a good name. A good name is better than great wealth. For the one remains, but the other perishes; and while it is possible to acquire the one, the other is impossible. For he who has received a bad reputation, will with difficulty put it away; but the poor man will quickly become rich from his name. Let there be someone having ten thousand talents, and another having a hundred friends; this one is wealthier than that one. Let us not then do this simply, but let us work as for a certain kind of wealth. And how are we able, he says? A sweet throat multiplies his friends, and a gracious tongue. Let us acquire a well-spoken mouth, and pure manners. It is not possible for one who is so disposed to escape notice. 4. See how many things those without have devised for friendship: god-parenthood, neighborhood, relationships of kinship. But of all these, the things among us are greater; this Table is more venerable. But many of those who approach do not even know one another. The multitude does this, one says. By no means, but our own sluggishness. There were three thousand and five thousand, and they all had one soul; but now each does not know his brother, and is not ashamed, blaming the multitude. He however who has many friends, is unconquerable by all, this one is stronger than any tyrant. The bodyguards do not so guard that one, as friends do this one; and this one is more glorious than that one. For the one is guarded by his own slaves, but the other by his peers; and the one by unwilling and fearful men, but this one by willing men, who are not afraid; and it is possible to see a wonderful thing, one in many, and many in one. And just as on a lyre the notes are different, but the harmony is one, and the musician handling the lyre is one; so here, love itself is the lyre, and the sounding notes are the friendly words uttered through love, all sending forth one and the same harmony and concord; and the musician is the power of love; this strikes the sweet melody. I wanted to bring you to such a city, if it were possible, where there was one soul, and you would have seen how more harmonious than any lyre and any flute was the concord there, singing no discordant melody. This melody delights both angels and God the Master of angels; this rouses the whole theater in heaven; this charms the rage of demons, soothes the impulses of the passions. This melody not only charms the passions, but does not even allow them to arise, and works a great silence. For just as in a thea 60.287 ter with a chorus of musicians all listen in silence, and there is no noise there; so also among friends, when love is playing, all passions are calm and lulled to sleep, like beasts being charmed and soothed, just as, where there is enmity, all things are the opposite. But for now let us say nothing about enmity; let us speak only of friendship. If you say something rash, there is no one to find fault, but all forgive; if you do something, no one is suspicious, but there is much forgiveness; all are ready to stretch out a hand to one who is falling; all are eager for him to stand. Friendship is truly an unbreakable wall, and cannot be captured even by the devil, much less by men. It is not possible for one who has acquired many friends to fall into danger; it is not possible to have a cause for anger, but for delight; he is always in laughter and delight; it is not possible to have a cause for envy; there is no occasion for holding a grudge. See such a one accomplishing both spiritual and carnal things with ease. What then could be equal to this? This one is like a city walled on all sides, but that one is like an unwalled city. Of great wisdom is the ability to be a creator of friendships. Take away friendship, and you have taken away all things, you have thrown all things into confusion. And if an image of friendship has such strength, how great must the truth itself be? Let us then make friends for you, I beseech you, and let each one have this art. But behold, he says, I am zealous, but that one is not zealous. Greater the reward will be for you in this way. Yes, he says, but the matter is more difficult. How, tell me? Behold, I testify and say, that if only ten of you band yourselves together,

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φιλώμεθα; Γενώμεθα καλοὶ, καὶ τοῦτο ἐργαζώμεθα, ὥστε ἐραστὰς ἔχειν ἀεί. Μηδεὶς σπουδαζέτω μὴ χρήματα κτᾶσθαι, μὴ ἀνδράποδα, μὴ οἰκίας, ὡς τὸ φιλεῖσθαι, ὡς ὄνομα χρηστὸν ἔχειν. Κρεῖττον ὄνομα, ἢ πλοῦτος πολύς. Τὸ μὲν γὰρ μένει, ὁ δὲ ἀπόλλυται· καὶ τὸ μὲν δυνατὸν κτήσασθαι, ἐκεῖνο δὲ ἀδύνατον. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ πονηρὰν δόξαν λαβὼν, δυσκόλως αὐτὴν ἀποθήσεται· ὁ δὲ πένης ταχέως ἀπὸ τοῦ ὀνόματος ἔσται πλούσιος. Ἔστω τις μυρία τάλαντα ἔχων, ὁ δὲ φίλους ἑκατόν· οὗτος ἐκείνου εὐπορώτερος. Μὴ τοίνυν ἁπλῶς τοῦτο ποιῶμεν, ἀλλ' ἐργαζώμεθα ὡς εὐπορίαν τινά. Καὶ πῶς δυνάμεθα, φησί; Λάρυγξ γλυκὺς πληθύνει φίλους αὐτοῦ, καὶ γλῶσσα εὐχάριστος. Στόμα εὔφημον κτησώμεθα, καὶ τρόπους καθαρούς. Οὐκ ἔνι λαθεῖν τὸν οὕτω διακείμενον. δʹ. Ὅρα πόσα οἱ ἔξωθεν ἐπενόησαν φιλικὰ, συντεκνίαν, γειτονίαν, συγγενείας. Ἀλλὰ τούτων πάντων τὰ παρ' ἡμῖν μείζονα· ἡ τράπεζα αὕτη αἰδεσιμωτέρα. Πολλοὶ δὲ τῶν προσιόντων οὐδὲ ἴσμεν ἀλλήλους. Τὸ πλῆθος τοῦτο ποιεῖ, φησίν. Οὐδαμῶς, ἀλλ' ἡ ἡμετέρα νωθεία. Τρισχίλιοι ἦσαν καὶ πεντακισχίλιοι, καὶ πάντες εἶχον ψυχὴν μίαν· νῦν δὲ ἕκαστος τὸν ἀδελφὸν ἀγνοεῖ, καὶ οὐκ αἰσχύνεται τὸ πλῆθος αἰτιώμενος. Ὁ μέντοι πολλοὺς φίλους ἔχων, ἀνάλωτος ἅπασίν ἐστι, τυράννου παντὸς οὗτος ἰσχυρότερος. Οὐχ οὕτως ἐκεῖνον οἱ δορυφόροι φυλάττουσιν, ὡς τοῦτον οἱ φίλοι· καὶ λαμπρότερος οὗτος ἐκείνου. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ παρὰ τῶν αὐτοῦ δούλων φυλάττεται, ὁ δὲ παρὰ τῶν ὁμοτίμων· καὶ ὁ μὲν παρὰ ἀκόντων καὶ δεδοικότων, οὗτος δὲ παρὰ ἑκόντων, καὶ οὐ δεδοικότων· καὶ ἔστιν ἰδεῖν πρᾶγμα θαυμαστὸν, ἐν πολλοῖς ἕνα, καὶ ἐν ἑνὶ πολλούς. Καὶ καθάπερ ἐπὶ κιθάρας διάφοροι μὲν οἱ φθόγγοι, μία δὲ ἡ συμφωνία, εἷς δὲ ὁ μουσικὸς ὁ τὴν κιθάραν μεταχειρίζων· οὕτως ἐνταῦθα, κιθάρα μὲν ἔστιν αὐτὴ ἡ ἀγάπη, φθόγγοι δὲ ἠχοῦντες τὰ δι' ἀγάπης προφερόμενα ῥήματα φιλικὰ, μίαν καὶ τὴν αὐτὴν ἅπαντες ἀφιέντες ἁρμονίαν καὶ συμφωνίαν· ὁ δὲ μουσικὸς ἡ τῆς ἀγάπης δύναμις· αὕτη κρούει τὸ μέλος τὸ ἡδύ. Ἐβουλόμην ὑμᾶς ἀγαγεῖν εἰς πόλιν τοιαύτην, εἴ γε δυνατὸν, ἔνθα μία ψυχὴ, ἦν, καὶ εἶδες ἂν ὅπως πάσης κιθάρας καὶ παντὸς αὐλοῦ ἁρμοδιωτέρα ἡ ἐκεῖ συμφωνία, οὐδὲν ἀπηχὲς ᾄδουσα μέλος. Τοῦτο καὶ ἀγγέλους καὶ τὸν ἀγγέλων ∆εσπότην Θεὸν εὐφραίνει τὸ μέλος· τοῦτο ὅλον τὸ ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ θέατρον διανίστησι· τοῦτο καὶ δαιμόνων κηλεῖ θυμὸν, παθῶν καταθέλγει ὁρμάς. Τοῦτο τὸ μέλος οὐ μόνον πάθη κηλεῖ, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ διαναστῆναι ἀφίησι, καὶ πολλὴν τὴν σιγὴν ἐργάζεται. Καθάπερ γὰρ ἐν θεά 60.287 τρῳ χοροῦ μουσικῶν πάντες μετὰ σιγῆς ἐπακούουσι, καὶ οὐδεὶς ἐκεῖ θόρυβος· οὕτω καὶ ἐν τοῖς φίλοις, τῆς ἀγάπης κρουούσης, πάντα ἠρεμεῖ τὰ πάθη καὶ κατακοιμίζεται, καθάπερ θηρία κηλούμενα καὶ θελγόμενα, ὥσπερ οὖν ἔνθα ἔχθρα, πάντα τὰ ἐναντία. Ἀλλὰ μηδὲν περὶ ἔχθρας τέως εἴπωμεν· περὶ φιλίας λέγωμεν μόνον. Ἂν εἴπῃς τι προπετὲς, οὐδεὶς ὁ ἐπιλαμβανόμενος, ἀλλὰ πάντες συγγινώσκουσιν· ἂν πράξῃς, οὐδεὶς ὑποπτεύει, ἀλλὰ πολλὴ ἡ συγγνώμη· πάντες οἱ χεῖρα ὀρέγοντες πίπτοντι πρόχειροι· πάντες οἱ βουλόμενοι στῆναι πρόθυμοι. Τεῖχος ὄντως ἀῤῥαγὲς ἡ φιλία, καὶ οὐδὲ τῷ διαβόλῳ ἁλώσιμον, μήτι γε ἀνθρώποις. Οὐκ ἔνι κινδύνῳ περιπεσεῖν τὸν φίλους κεκτημένον πολλούς· οὐκ ἔνι ὀργῆς ὑπόθεσιν σχεῖν, ἀλλὰ θυμηδίας· ἐν γέλωτι ἀεί ἐστι καὶ τρυφῇ· οὐκ ἔνι βασκανίας ὑπόθεσιν σχεῖν· οὐκ ἔνι μνησικακίας ἀφορμήν. Ὅρα τὸν τοιοῦτον καὶ τὰ πνευματικὰ καὶ τὰ σαρκικὰ κατορθοῦντα μετ' εὐκολίας. Τί δὴ οὖν τούτου ἴσον γένοιτ' ἄν; Ὥσπερ πόλις τετειχισμένη πάντοθεν οὗτός ἐστιν, ἐκεῖνος δὲ ὥσπερ πόλις ἀτείχιστος. Μεγάλης σοφίας τὸ δύνασθαι φιλίας εἶναι δημιουργόν. Ἄνελε τὴν φιλίαν, καὶ πάντα ἀνεῖλες, πάντα συνέχεες. Εἰ δὲ εἰκὼν φιλίας τοσαύτην ἔχει τὴν ἰσχὺν, αὐτὴ ἡ ἀλήθεια πόση τις ἂν εἴη; Κατασκευάσωμεν τοίνυν ὑμῖν φίλους, παρακαλῶ, καὶ ταύτην ἕκαστος ἐχέτω τὴν τέχνην. Ἀλλ' ἰδοὺ, φησὶν, ἐγὼ σπουδάζω, ἐκεῖνος δὲ οὐ σπουδάζει. Πλείων ὁ μισθὸς οὕτως ἔσται σοι. Ναὶ, φησὶν, ἀλλὰ τὸ πρᾶγμα δυσκολώτερον. Πῶς, εἰπέ μοι; Ἰδοὺ διαμαρτύρομαι καὶ λέγω, ὅτι δέκα μόνον ἐὰν συμφράξητε ἑαυτοὺς,