[3,95] καὶ ταῦτα μὲν ἐν πολέμῳ μόνον χρήσιμα, τοῖς δὲ ἀεὶ βιωσομένοις ἐν εἰρήνῃ, (96) ἂν ᾖ δυνατόν, ἀχρεῖα καὶ βαρέα· ἄνευ δὲ φιλίας οὐδ´ ἐν εἰρήνῃ ζῆν ἀσφαλές. καὶ μὴν ὧν εἶπον ἡδέων τὸ μὲν κοινωνεῖν φίλοις τερπνότερον, μόνον δὲ ἀπολαύειν ἐν ἐρημίᾳ πάντων ἀηδέστατον, καὶ οὐδεὶς ἂν ὑπομείνειεν· ἔτι δὲ λυπηρότερον, εἰ δεήσειε κοινωνεῖν τοῖς μὴ ἀγαπῶσιν. (97) ποία μὲν γὰρ εὐφροσύνη προσφιλής, (εἰ {μὴ} καὶ πάντα παρείη τὰ μέγιστα), ποῖον δὲ συμπόσιον ἡδὺ χωρὶς εὐνοίας τῶν παρόντων; {ποία δὲ θυσία κεχαρισμένη θεοῖς ἄνευ (98) τῶν συνευωχουμένων;} οὐ γὰρ καὶ τὰ ἀφροδίσια ταῦτα ἥδιστα καὶ ἀνυβριστότατα ὅσα γίγνεται μετὰ φιλίας τῶν συνόντων καὶ ὅσα μαστεύουσιν εὔνοιαν ἀνθρώποις ἐπῆλθε παρὰ παιδικῶν ἢ παρὰ γυναικῶν; (99) πολλαὶ μὲν γὰρ ἐπωνυμίαι τῆς φιλίας, ὥσπερ ἀμέλει καὶ χρεῖαι· ἡ δὲ μετὰ κάλλους καὶ ὥρας γιγνομένη φιλία δικαίως ἔρως ὠνόμασται, καὶ δοκεῖ κάλλιστος τῶν θεῶν.

[3,95] Besides, these things are useful in war only, while for men who are going to live in unbroken peace—if such a thing be possible—they are a useless burden. Without friendship, however, life is insecure even in peace. (96) Once more, the pleasures I have mentioned afford more delight when shared with friends; to enjoy them in solitude is the dreariest thing imaginable, and no one could endure it. But it would be still more disagreeable if you had to share them with people who disliked you. Nay, what festivity could please unless the most important thing of all were at hand, what symposium could delight you if you lacked the good-will of the guests ? What sacrifice is acceptable to the gods without the participants in the feast? Indeed, are not even those love relations the pleasantest and least wanton which are based on the affection of the lovers, and which men whose object is good-will experience in the society of boys or women? Many are the names applied to friendship just as its services undoubtedly are many ; but where youth and beauty enter in, there friendship is rightly called love and is held to be the fairest of the gods.