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whenever they come to places, they leave for their own sake. For it is better to live in darkness, than to be without friends.

Gregory of Nyssa. Just as the fragrant of perfumes make the surrounding air full of their own good scent, so the presence of a good man benefits his neighbors.

Evagrius. Love heals the inflamed parts of anger.

Philo. One must consider a friend, the one who is willing to help and to benefit in return, even if he is not able.

To drink poison from a golden cup, and to receive older counsel from an ungrateful person, is the same thing.

New vessels are better; but friendships from friendship, are born at every season.

The fruits from the earth are yearly; but those from friendship are born at every season.

Many choose friends, not the best ones, but the wealthy ones.

(760) Many who seem to be friends, are not; and those who do not seem to be, are; it is therefore for a wise man to know each one.

One must flee the friendship of those whose disposition is doubtful.

Isocrates. Acquire friends, not all who wish it, but those who are worthy of your nature.

The same. Make no one a friend before you have examined how he has treated his former friends. For expect that he will be the same toward you, as he has been toward them.

Be slow to become a friend; but having become one, try to remain so. For it is equally shameful to have no friend, and to change many companions.

True friendship especially seeks three things: virtue, as a good thing; and intimacy, as a pleasant thing; and usefulness, as a necessary thing. For one must approve after judging, and rejoice when together, and make use of when in need.

Plutarch. We judge a horse's excellence in war, but a friend's faithfulness in misfortune.

A brother should not, like the scale of a balance, incline to the opposite, being humbled himself when the other is exalted.

Be pleasant towards all, but associate with the best. For thus, to the one group you will not be hateful, and to the other you will become a friend.

Acquire friends, not those with whom you would pass time most pleasantly, but those with whom you would pass it best.

From the Chreiae of Dio. For however many companions a man may have acquired, with that many eyes he sees what he wishes, with that many ears he hears what he must, and with that many minds he thinks about what is advantageous. For it makes no difference, or is as if God had given to someone having one body, many souls, all taking thought for him.

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παραγένωται τόποις, ἑαυτῶν χάριν ἀφιᾶσι. Κρεῖσσον γάρ ἐν σκότῳ διάγειν, ἤ φίλων εἶναι χωρίς.

Γρηγ. Νύσσης. Ὥσπερ τά εὐώδη τῶν ἀρωμάτων, τῆς ἰδίας εὐπνοίας τόν παρακείμενον ἀέρα πλήρη ποιοῦσιν, οὕτως ἀνδρός ἀγαθοῦ παρουσία τούς πέλας ὀνίσησιν.

Εὐαγρίου. Ἀγάπη, τά φλεγμαίνοντα μόρια τοῦ θυμοῦ θεραπεύει.

Φίλωνος. Φίλον ἡγητέον, τόν βοηθεῖν καί ἀντωφελεῖν ἐθέλοντα, κἄν μή δύνηται.

Ἐκ χρυσοῦ ποτηρίου πίνειν φάρμακον, καί παλαιοτέρα ἀγνώμονος συμβουλίαν λαμβάνειν, ταυτόν ἐστιν.

Σκεύη μέν τά καινά, κρείττονα· φιλία δέ ἐκ τῆς φιλίας, κατά πάντα καιρόν φύονται.

Οἱ μέν ἐκ τῆς γῆς καρποί κατ᾿ ἐνιαυτόν· οἱ δέ ἐκ τῆς φιλίας, κατά πάντα καιρόν φύονται.

Πολλοί φίλους αἱροῦνται, οὐ τούς ἀρίστους, ἀλλά τούς πλουτοῦντας.

(760) Πολλοί δοκοῦντες εἶναι φίλοι, οὐκ εἰσί· καί οὐ δοκοῦντες, εἰσί· σοφοῦ οὖν ἐστι γινώσκειν ἕκαστον.

Φεύγειν δεῖ τήν φιλίαν, ὧν τινων ἀμφίβολος ἡ διάθεσις.

Ἰσοκράτ. Φίλους κτῶ, μή πάντας τούς βουλομένους, ἀλλά τούς τῆς σῆς φύσεως ἀξίους ὄντας.

Τοῦ αὐτοῦ. Μηδένα φίλον ποιοῦ, πρίν ἄν ἐξετάσῃς πῶς κέχρηται τοῖς πρότερον φίλοις. Ἔλπιζε γάρ αὐτόν καί περί σέ γενέσθαι τοιοῦτον, οἷος καί περί ἐκείνους γέγονεν.

Βραδέως μέν φίλος γίνου· γενόμενος δέ, πειρῶ διαμένειν. Ὁμοίως γάρ αἰσχρόν μηδένα φίλον ἔχειν, καί πολλούς ἑταίρους μεταλλάττειν.

Ἡ ἀληθινή φιλία τρία ζητοῖ μάλιστα· τήν ἀρετήν, ὡς καλόν· καί τήν συνήθειαν, ὡς ἡδύ· καί τήν χρείαν, ὡς ἀναγκαῖον. ∆εῖ γάρ ἀποδέξασθαι κρίναντα, καί χαίρειν συνόντα, καί χρῆσθαι δεόμενον.

Πλουτάρχ. Ἵππου μέν ἀρετήν ἐν πολέμῳ, φίλου δέ πίστιν ἐν ἀτυχίᾳ κρίνομεν.

Οὐ χρή τόν ἀδελφόν καθάπερ πλάστιγγα ῥέπειν εἰς τοὐναντίον, ὑψουμένου ταπεινούμενον αὐτόν.

Ἡδέως μέν ἔχε πρός ἅπαντας, χρῶ δέ τοῖς βελτίστοις. Οὕτω γάρ, τοῖς μέν οὐκ ἀπεχθής ἔσῃ, τοῖς δέ φίλος γενήσῃ.

Φίλους κτῶ, μή μεθ᾿ ὧν ἥδιστα συνδιατρίψῃς, ἀλλά μεθ᾿ ὧν ἄριστα.

Ἐκ τῶν ∆ίωνος Χρειῶν. Ὁπόσους γάρ ἄν τις ᾗ κεκτημένος ἑταίρους, τοσούτοις μέν ὀφθαλμοῖς ἅ βούλεται ὁρᾷ, τοσαύταις δέ ἀκοαῖς ἅ δεῖ ἀκούει, τοσαύταις δέ διανοίαις διανοεῖται περί τῶν συμφερόντων. ∆ιαφέρει γάρ οὐδέν, ἤ εἴ τῳ Θεός ἕν σῶμα ἔχοντι, πολλάς ψυχάς ἔδωκεν, ἁπάσας ὑπέρ ἐκείνου προνοουμένας.