Amic. 27.1Virtūs, inquam, C. Fannī, et tū, Q. Mūcī, et conciliat amīcitiās et cōnservat.It is virtue, I say, Gaius Fannius, and you, Quintus Mucius, virtue that both wins friendships and keeps them. Amic. 27.1In eā est enim convenientia rērum, in eā stabilitās, in eā cōnstantia;For in it is harmony, in it stability, in it constancy; Amic. 27.1quae cum sē extulit et ostendit suum lūmen et idem aspēxit agnōvitque in aliō, ad id sē admovet vicissimque accipit illud, quod in alterō est, ex quō exārdēscit sīve amor sīve amīcitia;and when it has raised itself up and shown its light, and has seen and recognised the same light in another, it moves towards it and in turn receives what is in the other, and from this blazes up either love or friendship; Amic. 27.1utrumque enim dictum est ab amandō, Amāre autem nihil est aliud nisi eum ipsum dīligere quem amēs, nūllā indigentiā, nūllā ūtilitāte quaesītā.for both words are derived from loving. And to love is nothing else than to cherish the very person you love, with no need and no advantage sought. Amic. 27.1Quae tamen ipsa ecflōrēscit ex amīcitiā, etiam sī tū eam minus secūtus sīs.Yet advantage itself blossoms out of friendship, even if you have not pursued it.
Amic. 27.101Hāc nōs adulēscentēs benevolentiā senēs illōs, L. Paulum, M. Catōnem, C. Gallum, P. Nāsīcam, Ti. Gracchum Scīpiōnis nostrī socerum dīlēximus.With this goodwill we in our youth loved those old men, Lucius Paulus, Marcus Cato, Gaius Gallus, Publius Nasica, and Tiberius Gracchus, the father-in-law of our Scipio. Amic. 27.101Haec etiam magis ēlūcet inter aequālīs, ut inter mē et Scīpiōnem, L. Fūrium, P. Rupilium, Sp. Mummium;It shines out even more between those of equal age, as between me and Scipio, Lucius Furius, Publius Rupilius and Spurius Mummius; Amic. 27.101vicissim autem senēs in adulēscentium cāritāte acquiēscimus, ut in vestrā, ut in Q. Tuberōnis;in turn, as old men, we find rest in the affection of the young, as in yours, as in that of Quintus Tubero; Amic. 27.101equidem etiam admodum adulēscentis P. Rutilī, A. Verginī familiāritāte dēlector.indeed I take delight in my intimacy even with the quite young Publius Rutilius and Aulus Verginius. Amic. 27.101Quoniamque ita ratiō comparāta est vītae nātūraeque nostrae, ut alia aetās oriātur, maximē quidem optandum est ut cum aequālibus possīs, quibuscum tamquam ē carceribus ēmissus sīs, cum īsdem ad calcem, ut dīcitur, pervenīre.And since the order of our life and nature is so arranged that another generation arises, it is most of all to be wished that you may reach the finishing line, as they say, with those same companions of your own age with whom you were let out, as it were, from the starting gates.
Amic. 27.102Sed quoniam rēs hūmānae fragilēs cadūcaeque sunt, semper aliquī anquīrendī sunt quōs dīligāmus et ā quibus dīligāmur;But since human affairs are frail and fleeting, we must always be seeking some whom we may love and by whom we may be loved; Amic. 27.102cāritāte enim benevolentiāque sublātā omnis est ē vītā sublāta iūcunditās.for when affection and goodwill are taken away, all delight is taken away from life. Amic. 27.102Mihi quidem Scīpiō, quamquam est subitō ēreptus, vīvit tamen semperque vīvet;For me, at least, Scipio, though he was suddenly snatched away, lives still and will always live; Amic. 27.102virtūtem enim amāvī illīus virī, quae exstīncta nōn est.for it was that man's virtue I loved, and it has not been extinguished. Amic. 27.102Nec mihi sōlī versātur ante oculōs, quī illam semper in manibus habuī, sed etiam posterīs erit clāra et īnsignis.Nor is it before my eyes alone, who always had it at hand, but it will be famous and illustrious to posterity as well. Amic. 27.102Nēmō umquam animō aut spē maiōra suscipiet quī sibi nōn illīus memoriam atque imāginem prōpōnendam putet.No one will ever undertake greater things in spirit or hope without thinking he must set before himself the memory and image of that man.
Amic. 27.103Equidem ex omnibus rēbus, quās mihi aut fortūna aut nātūra tribuit, nihil habeō quod cum amīcitiā Scīpiōnis possim comparāre.For my part, of all the things that fortune or nature has granted me, I have nothing that I can compare with Scipio's friendship. Amic. 27.103In hāc mihi dē rē pūblicā cōnsēnsus;In it I found agreement on public affairs; Amic. 27.103in hāc rērum prīvātārum cōnsilium, in eādem requiēs plēna oblectātiōnis fuit.in it counsel in private matters, in it too rest full of delight. Amic. 27.103Numquam illum nē minimā quidem rē offendī, quod quidem sēnserim, nihil audīvī ex eō ipse quod nōllem;Never did I offend him even in the smallest matter, so far as I was aware, and I never heard anything from him that I would not wish to hear; Amic. 27.103ūna domus erat, īdem vīctus isque commūnis, neque sōlum mīlitiā, sed etiam peregrīnātiōnēs rūsticātiōnēsque commūnēs.we had one house, the same food, and that shared, and not only military service but also travels abroad and stays in the country in common. Amic. 27.104Nam quid ego dē studiīs dīcam cognōscendī semper aliquid atque discendī, in quibus remōtī ab oculīs populī omne ōtiōsum tempus contrīvimus?For what shall I say of our constant zeal for knowing and learning something, in which, far from the eyes of the people, we spent all our leisure time?
Amic. 27.104Quārum rērum recordātiō et memoria sī ūnā cum illō occīdisset, dēsīderium coniūnctissimī atque amantissimī virī ferre nūllō modō possem.If the recollection and memory of these things had perished with him, I could in no way bear the loss of a man so close and so loving. Amic. 27.104Sed nec illa exstīncta sunt alunturque potius et augentur cōgitātiōne et memoriā meā, et, sī illīs plānē orbātus essem, magnum tamen affert mihi aetās ipsa sōlācium;But they have not perished; rather they are nourished and increased by my reflection and memory, and even if I had been wholly bereft of them, my age itself still brings me great comfort; Amic. 27.104diūtius enim iam in hōc dēsīderiō esse nōn possum;for I cannot be in this longing much longer now; Amic. 27.104omnia autem brevia tolerābilia esse dēbent, etiam sī magna sunt.and all things that are brief ought to be bearable, even if they are great. Amic. 27.104Haec habuī dē amīcitiā quae dīcerem;This is what I had to say about friendship; Amic. 27.104vōs autem hortor ut ita virtūtem locētis (sine quā amīcitia esse nōn potest) ut eā exceptā nihil amīcitiā praestābilius putētis.and I urge you so to give virtue its place (without which friendship cannot exist) that, apart from it, you think nothing more excellent than friendship.