Laudator Temporis Acti

Aristotle, Rhetoric 1.11.25 (1371 b 12-17; tr. John Henry Freese, with his notes):

And since that which is in accordance with nature is pleasant, and things which are akin are akin in accordance with nature, all things akin and like are for the most part pleasant to each other, as man to man, horse to horse, youth to youth. This is the origin of the proverbs:

The old have charms for the old, the young for the young,
Like to like,^a
Beast knows beast,
Birds of a feather flock together,^b

and all similar sayings.

^a Odyssey, xvii.218 ὡς αἰεὶ τὸν ὁμοῖον ἄγει θεὸς ὡς τὸν ὁμοῖον.

^b Literally, “ever jackdaw to jackdaw.”

καὶ ἐπεὶ τὸ κατὰ φύσιν ἡδύ, τὰ συγγενῆ δὲ κατὰ φύσιν ἀλλήλοις ἐστίν, πάντα τὰ συγγενῆ καὶ ὅμοια ἡδέα ὡς ἐπὶ τὸ πολύ, οἷον ἄνθρωπος ἀνθρώπῳ καὶ ἵππος ἵππῳ καὶ νέος νέῳ, ὅθεν καὶ αἱ παροιμίαι εἴρηνται, ὡς "ἧλιξ ἥλικα τέρπει", καὶ "ὡς αἰεὶ τὸν ὁμοῖον", καὶ "ἔγνω δὲ θὴρ θῆρα", "καὶ γὰρ κολοιὸς παρὰ κολοιόν", καὶ ὅσα ἄλλα τοιαῦτα.

William M.A. Grimaldi ad loc.: Related posts:

• Flocking Together
• Birds of a Feather Flock Together
• Like Is Dear to Like