Saturday, October 01, 2011

Thoughts about Friendship from Diogenes Laertius bio of Aristotle

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ἐρωτηθεὶς τί ἐστι φίλος, ἔφη, Μία ψυχὴ δύο σώμασιν ἐνοικοῦσα.

[my translation; Upon being asked what a friend is, he said, "One soul in two bodies."]

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ᾧ φίλοι, οὐδεὶς φίλος.


["My friends, but there is not one (real) friend (among you all)".]

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ἐρωτηθεὶς πῶς ἂν τοῖς φίλοις προσφεροίμεθα, ἔφη, Ὡς ἂν εὐξαίμεθα αὐτοὺς ἡμῖν προσφέρεσθαι.

[ Upon being asked how we ought to behave toward friends, he said, "As we would pray that they continue to behave toward us." ]

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