We should look for someone to eat and drink with before looking for something to eat and drink...

Epicurus (341–270 BCE) taught in Athens in his school known as “the Garden,” where philosophy was practiced as a way of living among friends. Many Epicurean sayings survive not as formal treatises but as brief maxims preserved by later writers and anthologists. This line reflects the Epicurean emphasis on simple pleasures, freedom from anxiety, and the central role of friendship in achieving a tranquil life (ataraxia). In the Garden, shared meals and conversation were emblematic: the social bond and the security it brings were valued more highly than luxurious fare. The sentiment is typically transmitted as a gnomological (sayings) tradition rather than a securely dated occasion.

The saying reverses a common priority: instead of first seeking food and drink, one should first seek companionship. For Epicurus, pleasure is not mere indulgence but the stable satisfaction that comes from safety, trust, and the absence of fear. Eating and drinking become genuinely pleasurable when embedded in friendship, because friends provide reassurance, shared joy, and a buffer against misfortune. The quote also critiques luxury and acquisitiveness: the quality of the company matters more than the extravagance of the table. In Epicurean ethics, friendship is among the greatest goods precisely because it makes ordinary life sufficient and serene.