صفحة 503 من 734

Then again the being brought up together, and the nearness of

age, are a great help towards Friendship, for a man likes one of

his own age and persons who are used to one another are

companions, which accounts for the resemblance between the

Friendship of Brothers and that of Companions.

And cousins and all other relatives derive their bond of union

from these, that is to say, from their community of origin: and

the strength of this bond varies according to their respective

distances from the common ancestor.

Further: the Friendship felt by children towards parents, and by

men towards the gods, is as towards something good and above

them; because these have conferred the greatest possible

benefits, in that they are the causes of their being and being

nourished, and of their having been educated after they were

brought into being.