[24]
It is said, at any rate, that a certain
learned man of Agrigentum1 sang in inspired strain
in Greek verse that in nature and the entire universe
whatever things are at rest and whatever are in
motion are united by friendship and scattered by
discord. And indeed this is a statement which all
men not only understand but also approve. Whenever, therefore, there comes to light some signal
service in undergoing or sharing the dangers of a
friend, who does not proclaim it with the loudest
praise? What shouts recently rang through the
entire theatre during the performance of the new
play, written by my guest and friend, Marcus
Pacuvius,2 at the scene where, the king being
ignorant which of the two was Orestes, Pylades, who
wished to be put to death instead of his friend,
declared, “I am Orestes,” while Orestes continued
steadfastly to assert, as was the fact, “I am
Orestes!” The people in the audience rose to their
feet and cheered this incident in fiction; what, think
we, would they have done had it occurred in real
life? In this case Nature easily asserted her own
power, inasmuch as men approved in another as
well done that which they could not do themselves.
[p. 137]
Within the foregoing limits I have, I think, been
able to state my estimate of friendship; if there is
anything more to be said—and I believe there is a
great deal—inquire, if you please, of those who
make a business of such discussions.
1 Empedocles, according to whom φιλότης (friendship) and νεῖκος (strife) are perpetually at war, causing the four elements to unite or disperse,
ἄλλοτε μὲν φιλότητι συνερχόμεν᾽ εἰς ἓν ἅπαντα,
ἄλλοτε δ᾽ αὖ δίχ᾽ ἕκαστα φορεύμενα νείκεος ἔχθει.
2 The title is uncertain, but the subject was that of Euripides' Iphigenia in Tauris.
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