Neither soldiers nor money can defend a king but only friends won by good deeds, merit, and honesty.

The saying contrasts coercive power (armies) and material resources (money) with the more durable security that comes from moral authority and reciprocal loyalty. It implies that a ruler’s real “defense” is not force but a network of genuine allies created through beneficence, proven competence, and integrity—qualities that generate trust and voluntary support. The line also carries a warning: reliance on mercenaries, bribery, or fear produces brittle rule, because such supports evaporate when fortunes change. In Sallust’s moralizing view of politics, the stability of leadership depends on virtue and reputation, not merely on instruments of domination.