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Aristotle. It is more fitting to make money for the sake of friends, than friends for the sake of money.

When he was reproached for associating with wicked men, That physician, he said, is the best who recovers those given up by everyone.

The same man said, that to please everyone is most difficult.

Socrates. Those who disregard friendship, even if they escape the punishment from those they have wronged; still they do not evade the punishment from God.

To love at the wrong time, is equal to hating. Do not fear a genuine friend in bad times

The same man, asking Croesus what most precious thing he had gained from his kingdom; and when he said, To pursue my enemies and benefit my friends; How much more graciously would you have acted, he said, if you had also turned them into friends.

Democritus. Not being able to help friends is a sign of want, but not being willing, is a proof of wickedness.

(761) Of Clitarchus. Consider the misfortunes of friends as your own; but share your own good fortunes.

When friends have died, to lament is not noble; but to provide for their families is diligent.

Cato. Money is not friends, but friends are money. And money could never create friendship, just as the earth could not create God; but friendship could easily acquire [create] money, just as God the earth.

Just as you do not hate a bee for its sting, but care for it for its fruit; so also a friend, do not turn away from him for a rebuke, but love him for his goodwill. Whoever fled a grieving friend is not worthy to enjoy a rejoicing one.

Of Menander. And one must love as if one will also hate. And hate as if one will also love. Gold is known to be tested by fire, but goodwill toward friends is judged by circumstance. He who flatters a friend who is fortunate in due season, is by nature a friend of the circumstance, not of the friend.

You will not acquire true friends, before you drive away the worthless ones.

I never desired to please the many. For what pleased them, I did not learn; and what I knew was far from their disposition.

Socrates. Those who pass over their brothers and seek other friends, are similar to those who neglect their own land, but cultivate another's.

Of Critias. Whoever associates with his friends doing everything to please them, establishes immediate pleasure as enmity for a later time.

Of Polyaenus. The more you benefit a friend, the more you will promote your own advantage. For their goodwill returns again to us.

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Ἀριστοτέλ. Χρήματα ποιεῖσθαι μᾶλλον τῶν φίλων ἕνεκα προσήκει, ἤ τούς φίλους τῶν χρημάτων.

Οὗτος ὀνειδιζόμενος ὅτι πομηροῖς συνδιατρίβει, Ἐκεῖνος, ἔφη, ἄριστος ἰατρός ἐστι, ὅς τούς ὑπό πάντων ἀπεγνωσμένους ἀναλαμβάνει.

Ὁ αὐτός ἔλεγεν, ὅτι τό πᾶσιν ἀρέσαι δυσχερέστατόν ἐστιν.

Σωκράτης. Οἱ φιλίαν παραθεωροῦντες, κἄν τήν ἐκ τῶν ἠδικημένων ἐκφύγωσι τιμωρίαν· ἀλλ᾿ οὖν γε τήν ἐκ Θεοῦ τιμωρίαν οὐ διακρούονται.

Φιλεῖν ἀκαίρως, ἴσον ἐστί τοῦ μισεῖν. Φίλον γνήσιον ἐν κακοῖς μή φοβοῦ

Ὁ αὐτός ἐπερωτῶν Κροῖσον, τί παρά τῆς βασιλείας ἔσχε τιμιώτατον· εἶτα ἐκείνου εἰρηκότος, Τό τούς ἐχθρούς μετελθεῖν, καί φίλους εὐεργετεῖν· Πόσῳ μᾶλλον, ἔφη, χαριέστερον ἐποίησας, εἴ καί τούτους εἰς φιλίαν μετετρόπωσας.

∆ημοκρίτ. Τό μή δύνασθαι βοηθεῖν τοῖς φίλοις, ἀπορίας, τό δέ μή βούλεσθαι, κακίας τεκμήριον.

(761) Κλειτάρχου. Σεαυτοῦ τά ἀτυχήματα τῶν φίλων ἡγοῦ· τῶν δέ ἰδίων εὐτυχημάτων κοινώνει.

Τελευτησάντων τῶν φίλων, θρηνεῖν μέν οὐκ εὐγενές· προνοεῖν δέ τῶν οἰκείων, ἐπιμελές.

Κάτων. Οὐ τά χρήματα φίλοι, ἀλλ᾿ οἱ φίλοι χρήματα. Καί χρήματα μέν, φιλίαν οὐδέποτε ἄν ἐργάσαιτο, ὥσπερ οὐδέ ἡ γῆ Θεόν· φιλία δέ χρήματα ῥᾳδίως κτήσαιτο [κτίσ.], καθάπερ καί Θεός γῆν.

Ὥσπερ μέλιτταν οὐ διά τό κέντρον μισεῖς, ἀλλά διά τόν καρπόν τημελεῖς· οὕτω καί φίλον, μή δι᾿ ἐπίπληξιν ἀποστραφῇς, ἀλλά διά τήν εὔνοιαν ἀγάπα. Ὅστις φίλον λυπούμενον ἔφυγεν, οὐδέ τοῦ χαίροντος ἀπολαύειν ἄξιος.

Μενάνδρου. Καί φιλεῖν δεῖ ὡς καί μισήσοντας. Καί μισέειν ὡς καί φιλήσοντας. Χρυσός μέν οἶδε δοκιμάζεσθαι πυρί, Ἡ πρός φίλους δ᾿ εὔνοια καιρῷ κρίνεται. Ὁ καιρῷ εὐτυχοῦντα κολακεύων φίλον, Καιροῦ φίλος πέφυκεν, οὐχί τοῦ φίλου.

Οὐ πρότερον ἀληθινούς φίλου κτῆσαι, πρίν τούς φαύλους ἀποδιώξῃς.

Οὐδέποτε ὠρέχθην τοῖς πολλοῖς ἀρέσκειν. Ἅ μέν γάρ ἐκείνοις ἤρεσκεν, οὐκ ἔμαθον· ἅ δ᾿ ᾔδειν ἐγώ μακράν ἦν τῆς ἐκείνων διαθέσεως.

Σωκράτης. Οἱ ἀδελφούς παριόντες, καί ἄλλους φίλους ζητοῦντες, παραπλήσιοί εἰσι τοῖς τήν ἑαυτῶν γῆς ἐῶσι, τήν δέ ἀλλοτρίαν γεωργοῦσι.

Κριτίου. Ὅστις τοῖς φίλοις πάντα πρός χάριν πράσσων ὁμιλεῖ, τήν παραυτίκα ἡδονήν ἔχθραν καθίστησιν εἰς ὕστερον χρόνον.

Πολυαίνου. Ὅσῳ ἄν πλεῖον εὐεργετήσεις τόν φίλον, τοσοῦτῳ μᾶλλον τό σαυτοῦ συμφέρον ποιήσεις. Ἀντεπιστρέφει γάρ πάλιν εἰς ἡμᾶς ἡ ἐξ ἐκείνων εὔνοια.