§9.2ἀπορίαν δʼ ἔχει καὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα, οἷον πότερον δεῖ πάντα τῷ πατρὶ ἀπονέμειν καὶ πείθεσθαι, ἢ κάμνοντα μὲν ἰατρῷ πιστεύειν, στρατηγὸν δὲ χειροτονητέον τὸν πολεμικόν· ὁμοίως δὲ φίλῳ μᾶλλον ἢ σπουδαίῳ ὑπηρετητέον, καὶ εὐεργέτῃ ἀνταποδοτέον χάριν μᾶλλον ἢ ἑταίρῳ προετέον, ἐὰν ἄμφω μὴ ἐνδέχηται.
Such questions also present a difficulty: for instance, whether one ought to render all things to one's father and obey him in everything, or when ill trust a physician, and when electing a general vote for the one skilled in war; and similarly, whether one ought to serve a friend rather than a virtuous man, and whether one ought to return a favor to a benefactor rather than make a gift to a companion, if it is not possible to do both.
ἆρʼ οὖν πάντα τὰ τοιαῦτα ἀκριβῶς μὲν διορίσαι οὐ ῥᾴδιον;
Is it not, then, not easy to define all such matters precisely?
πολλὰς γὰρ καὶ παντοίας ἔχει διαφορὰς καὶ μεγέθει καὶ μικρότητι καὶ τῷ καλῷ καὶ ἀναγκαίῳ.
For they possess many and various differences, both in greatness and smallness, and in the noble and the necessary.
ὅτι δʼ οὐ πάντα τῷ αὐτῷ ἀποδοτέον, οὐκ ἄδηλον· καὶ τὰς μὲν εὐεργεσίας ἀνταποδοτέον ὡς ἐπὶ τὸ πολὺ μᾶλλον ἢ χαριστέον ἑταίροις, ὥσπερ καὶ δάνειον ᾧ ὀφείλει ἀποδοτέον μᾶλλον ἢ ἑταίρῳ δοτέον.
But that one should not render all things to the same person is not unclear; and one's benefactors should for the most part receive a return of their services rather than one's companions receive favors, just as one should return a loan to the person to whom it is owed rather than make a gift to a companion.
ἴσως δʼ οὐδὲ τοῦτʼ ἀεί, οἷον τῷ λυτρωθέντι παρὰ λῃστῶν πότερα τὸν λυσάμενον ἀντιλυτρωτέον, κἂν ὁστισοῦν ᾖ, ἢ μὴ ἑαλωκότι ἀπαιτοῦντι δὲ ἀποδοτέον, ἢ τὸν πατέρα λυτρωτέον;
Yet perhaps even this is not always so—for instance, to one who has been ransomed from bandits, should he in turn ransom his ransomer, whoever he may be, or should he return the money to him when he demands it although he has not been captured, or should he ransom his father?
δόξειε γὰρ ἂν καὶ ἑαυτοῦ μᾶλλον τὸν πατέρα.
For it would seem that he should ransom his father even in preference to himself.
ὅπερ οὖν εἴρηται, καθόλου μὲν τὸ ὀφείλημα ἀποδοτέον, ἐὰν δʼ ὑπερτείνῃ ἡ δόσις τῷ καλῷ ἢ τῷ ἀναγκαίῳ, πρὸς ταῦτʼ ἀποκλιτέον.
As has been said, then, generally a debt should be paid, but if the giving surpasses this in nobility or necessity, one should incline towards these.
ἐνίοτε γὰρ οὐδʼ ἐστὶν ἴσον τὸ τὴν προϋπαρχὴν ἀμείψασθαι, ἐπειδὰν ὃ μὲν σπουδαῖον εἰδὼς εὖ ποιήσῃ, τῷ δὲ ἡ ἀνταπόδοσις γίνηται ὃν οἴεται μοχθηρὸν εἶναι.
For sometimes it is not even equal to return a prior benefit, when the one person did a benefit knowing the other to be a virtuous man, while the return is to be made to one whom he thinks to be base.
οὐδὲ γὰρ τῷ δανείσαντι ἐνίοτε ἀντιδανειστέον· ὃ μὲν γὰρ οἰόμενος κομιεῖσθαι ἐδάνεισεν ἐπιεικεῖ ὄντι, ὃ δʼ οὐκ ἐλπίζει κομιεῖσθαι παρὰ πονηροῦ.
For sometimes one should not even lend in turn to one who has lent; for the one lent to a decent person, expecting to get his money back, while the other does not expect to get it back from a wicked person.
εἴτε τοίνυν τῇ ἀληθείᾳ οὕτως ἔχει, οὐκ ἴσον τὸ ἀξίωμα· εἴτʼ ἔχει μὲν μὴ οὕτως οἴονται δέ, οὐκ ἂν δόξαιεν ἄτοπα ποιεῖν.
Whether, then, the case is truly so, the claim is not equal; or whether it is not so but they think it is, they would not be thought to act strangely.
ὅπερ οὖν πολλάκις εἴρηται, οἱ περὶ τὰ πάθη καὶ τὰς πράξεις λόγοι ὁμοίως ἔχουσι τὸ ὡρισμένον τοῖς περὶ ἅ εἰσιν.
As has been said many times, then, discussions about feelings and actions have just as much definiteness as the matters with which they are concerned.
ὅτι μὲν οὖν οὐ ταὐτὰ πᾶσιν ἀποδοτέον, οὐδὲ τῷ πατρὶ πάντα, καθάπερ οὐδὲ τῷ Διὶ θύεται, οὐκ ἄδηλον·
That one should not render the same things to all, nor all things to one's father, just as not all sacrifices are offered to Zeus, is not unclear.
ἐπεὶ δʼ ἕτερα γονεῦσι καὶ ἀδελφοῖς καὶ ἑταίροις καὶ εὐεργέταις, ἑκάστοις τὰ οἰκεῖα καὶ τὰ ἁρμόττοντα ἀπονεμητέον.
Since, then, different things belong to parents, brothers, companions, and benefactors, one should render to each what is appropriate and suitable.
οὕτω δὲ καὶ ποιεῖν φαίνονται· εἰς γάμους μὲν γὰρ καλοῦσι τοὺς συγγενεῖς· τούτοις γὰρ κοινὸν τὸ γένος καὶ αἱ περὶ τοῦτο δὴ πράξεις· καὶ εἰς τὰ κήδη δὲ μάλιστʼ οἴονται δεῖν τοὺς συγγενεῖς ἀπαντᾶν διὰ ταὐτό.
And this is indeed what people appear to do; for they invite their relatives to weddings, since the family is common to them and so are the actions concerning it; and they think that relatives should especially meet at funerals for the same reason.
δόξειε δʼ ἂν τροφῆς μὲν γονεῦσι δεῖν μάλιστʼ ἐπαρκεῖν, ὡς ὀφείλοντας, καὶ τοῖς αἰτίοις τοῦ εἶναι κάλλιον ὂν ἢ ἑαυτοῖς εἰς ταῦτʼ ἐπαρκεῖν· καὶ τιμὴν δὲ γονεῦσι καθάπερ θεοῖς, οὐ πᾶσαν δέ· οὐδὲ γὰρ τὴν αὐτὴν πατρὶ καὶ μητρί, οὐδʼ αὖ τὴν τοῦ σοφοῦ ἢ τὴν τοῦ στρατηγοῦ, ἀλλὰ τὴν πατρικήν, ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ μητρικήν.
It would seem that one should especially supply nourishment to parents, on the ground that one owes it, and because it is nobler to supply this to the causes of one's being than to oneself; and honor should be paid to parents as to gods, but not all honor; for not the same honor is due to a father and a mother, nor again the honor due to a wise man or a general, but that which is a father's, and similarly that which is a mother's.
καὶ παντὶ δὲ τῷ πρεσβυτέρῳ τιμὴν καθʼ ἡλικίαν, ὑπαναστάσει καὶ κατακλίσει καὶ τοῖς τοιούτοις· πρὸς ἑταίρους δʼ αὖ καὶ ἀδελφοὺς παρρησίαν καὶ ἁπάντων κοινότητα.
And to every elderly person one should render honor according to age, by rising to receive them, giving them the place of honor at table, and so on; while to companions and brothers one should allow freedom of speech and community of all things.
καὶ συγγενέσι δὲ καὶ φυλέταις καὶ πολίταις καὶ τοῖς λοιποῖς ἅπασιν ἀεὶ πειρατέον τὸ οἰκεῖον ἀπονέμειν, καὶ συγκρίνειν τὰ ἑκάστοις ὑπάρχοντα κατʼ οἰκειότητα καὶ ἀρετὴν ἢ χρῆσιν.
To relatives, members of the same tribe, fellow citizens, and all the rest, one should always try to render what is appropriate, and to compare what belongs to each according to closeness of relationship, virtue, or utility.
τῶν μὲν οὖν ὁμογενῶν ῥᾴων ἡ σύγκρισις, τῶν δὲ διαφερόντων ἐργωδεστέρα.
The comparison is easier in the case of those of the same class, but more troublesome in the case of those of different classes.
οὐ μὴν διά γε τοῦτο ἀποστατέον, ἀλλʼ ὡς ἂν ἐνδέχηται, οὕτω διοριστέον.
Nevertheless one must not give up for this reason, but define them in such a manner as is possible.