Of all the means to insure happiness throughout the whole life, by far the most important is the acquisition of friends.
Genuine
Yes. In Principal Doctrines (270 BC), Principal Doctrines 27 (Diogenes Laertius, Lives X.148); Hicks translation (“Sovran Maxims”), 1925.
Found word for word by program in the Greek original and in R. D. Hicks’ English translation (1925).
The wording people share differs slightly from the text; the words in the text are underlined below.
- Work
- Principal Doctrines (Κύριαι Δόξαι), 270 BC
- Where
- Principal Doctrines 27 (Diogenes Laertius, Lives X.148); Hicks translation (“Sovran Maxims”), 1925
- Found at
- Paragraph 27 of the Greek text, 27 of the English
- Translation
- R. D. Hicks, 1925
Researched by AI; checked by program against the full text on 31 October 2026. Editorial review: pending. How we check
On the page
26. All such desires as lead to no pain when they remain ungratified are unnecessary, and the longing is easily got rid of, when the thing desired is difficult to procure or when the desires seem likely to produce harm.
[XXVI.] Τῶν ἐπιθυμιῶν ὅσαι μὴ ἐπʼ ἀλγοῦν ἐπανάγουσιν ἐὰν μὴ συμπληρωθῶσιν, οὐκ εἰσὶν ἀναγκαῖαι ἀλλʼ εὐδιάχυτον τὴν ὄρεξιν ἔχουσιν, ὅταν δυσπόριστοι ἢ βλάβης ἀπεργαστικαὶ δόξωσιν εἶναι.
27. Of all the means which are procured by wisdom to ensure happiness throughout the whole of life, by far the most important is the acquisition of friends.
[XXVII.] Ὧν ἡ σοφία παρασκευάζεται εἰς τὴν τοῦ ὅλου βίου μακαριότητα, πολὺ μέγιστόν ἐστιν ἡ τῆς φιλίας κτῆσις.
28. […]
[XXVIII.] Ἡ αὐτὴ γνώμη θαρρεῖν τε ἐποίησεν ὑπὲρ τοῦ μηθὲν αἰώνιον εἶναι δεινὸν μηδὲ πολυχρόνιον, καὶ τὴν ἐν αὐτοῖς τοῖς ὡρισμένοις ἀσφάλειαν φιλίαις μάλιστα κατεῖδε συντελουμένην.
29. 149. Of our desires some are natural and necessary; others are natural, but not necessary; others, again, are neither natural nor necessary, but are due to illusory opinion. […]
[XXIX.] Τῶν ἐπιθυμιῶν αἱ μέν εἰσι φυσικαὶ 〈καὶ ἀναγκαῖαι· αἱ δὲ φυσικαὶ〉 καὶ οὐκ ἀναγκαῖαι· αἱ δὲ οὔτε φυσικαὶ οὔτʼ ἀναγκαῖαι ἀλλὰ παρὰ κενὴν δόξαν γινόμεναι. […]
The scene
One of the forty maxims that Diogenes Laertius gives as the core of Epicurus’ teaching, in Hicks’s numbering the twenty-seventh. The next maxim adds that, since nothing we fear is eternal or long-lasting, nothing enhances our security in this limited life so much as friendship. Epicurus’ school lived together as friends in his Garden.
What it means
Of everything wisdom can provide for a happy life as a whole, having friends matters most.
Often misread
The popular form drops “procured by wisdom”: the maxim ranks friendship among the things a wise person secures, within Epicurus’ account of a safe and untroubled life, rather than praising friendship in the abstract.
Topics
Related quotes
- no one would choose to live without friends. Aristotle
- When we say that pleasure is the end and aim, we do not mean the pleasures of the prodigal or the pleasures of sensuality. By pleasure we mean the absence of pain in the body and of trouble in the soul.
- It is circumstances (difficulties) which show what men are. Epictetus
- Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom. (not found) Aristotle
- It is impossible for a man to learn what he thinks he already knows. Epictetus
Sources
- en.wikisource.org/wiki/Lives_of_the_Eminent_Philosophers/Book_X (Hicks, 1925; corpus source, maxims 27-28)
- goodreads.com/author/quotes/114041.Epicurus (what circulates: the shortened form, 302 likes on 23 October 2026)
Cite it
Epicurus, Principal Doctrines (270 BC), Principal Doctrines 27 (Diogenes Laertius, Lives X.148); Hicks translation (“Sovran Maxims”), 1925, translated by R. D. Hicks (1925). Checked at Quotogeny, https://quotogeny.com/q/most-important-is-the-acquisition-of-friends/ (31 October 2026).
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Checked by people
People who checked this entry against its source, under their own names. Their checks do not change the verdict: an editor reviews every entry.
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