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Epicurus
Vatican Sayings Fragment or passage 39
Fragment or passage 25 of 61
Canonical reference 39
English
Peter Saint-Andre · vatican-sayings-open
A friend is not one who is constantly seeking some benefit, nor one who never connects friendship with utility; for the former trades kindness for compensation, while the latter cuts off all hope for the future.
Ancient Greek
Peter Saint-Andre · vatican-sayings-open
οὔθʼ ὁ τὴν χρείαν ἐπιζητῶν διὰ παντὸς φίλος, οὔθʼ ὁ μηδέποτε συνάπτων· ὁ μὲν γὰρ καπηλεύει τῇ χάριτι τὴν ἀμοιβήν, ὁ δὲ ἀποκόπτει τὴν περὶ τοῦ μέλλοντος εὐελπιστίαν.
French AI-generated translation, non-official
Codex gpt-5.6-sol · Non-official working translation · 2026-09-11
Un ami n’est ni celui qui recherche constamment quelque avantage, ni celui qui ne lie jamais l’amitié à l’utilité. Le premier échange la bonté contre une rétribution, tandis que le second retranche tout espoir pour l’avenir.
Concepts in this passage
Beneficence
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Education
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Friendship
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Moral rightness and utility
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Hope
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Mindfulness
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Pleasure
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Prudent choice of pleasures
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Simple sufficiency
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