§2.7.1τίσιν δὲ χάριν ἔχουσι καὶ ἐπὶ τίσιν καὶ πῶς αὐτοὶ ἔχοντες, ὁρισαμένοις τὴν χάριν δῆλον ἔσται.
To whom people feel kindness, and for what reasons, and in what state they themselves are, will be clear when we have defined kindness.
§2.7.2ἔστω δὴ χάρις, καθʼ ἣν ὁ ἔχων λέγεται χάριν ἔχειν, ὑπουργία τῷ δεομένῳ μὴ ἀντί τινος, μηδʼ ἵνα τι αὐτῷ τῷ ὑπουργοῦντι ἀλλʼ ἵνα τι ἐκείνῳ·
Let kindness then—according to which one who has it is said to show kindness—be a service to one in need, not in return for anything, nor that something may accrue to the helper himself, but to the other person.
μεγάλη δὲ ἂν ᾖ σφόδρα δεόμενος, ἢ μεγάλων καὶ χαλεπῶν, ἢ ἐν καιροῖς τοιούτοις, ἢ μόνος ἢ πρῶτος ἢ μάλιστα.
And it is great if the other is in urgent need, or of great and difficult things, or in such times, or if the helper is the only one, or the first, or does so in the highest degree.
§2.7.3δεήσεις δέ εἰσιν αἱ ὀρέξεις, καὶ τούτων μάλιστα αἱ μετὰ λύπης τοῦ μὴ γιγνομένου.
Needs are cravings, and of these especially those accompanied by pain at the non-realization of the craving.
τοιαῦται δὲ αἱ ἐπιθυμίαι, οἷον ἔρως, καὶ αἱ ἐν ταῖς τοῦ σώματος κακώσεσιν καὶ ἐν κινδύνοις· καὶ γὰρ ὁ κινδυνεύων ἐπιθυμεῖ καὶ ὁ λυπούμενος·
Such are desires, for instance love, and those in bodily sufferings and in dangers; for both the one in danger desires and the one in pain.
διὸ οἱ ἐν πενίᾳ παριστάμενοι καὶ φυγαῖς, κἂν μικρὰ ὑπηρετήσωσιν, διὰ τὸ μέγεθος τῆς δεήσεως καὶ τὸν καιρὸν κεχαρισμένοι, οἷον ὁ ἐν Λυκείῳ τὸν φορμὸν δούς.
Therefore, those who stand by people in poverty and exile, even if they render only small services, are appreciated because of the greatness of the need and the occasion, like the man who gave the rush mat in the Lyceum.
§2.7.4ἀνάγκη οὖν μάλιστα μὲν εἰς ταὐτὰ ἔχειν τὴν ὑπουργίαν, εἰ δὲ μή, εἰς ἴσα ἢ μείζω·
It is necessary, therefore, that the service should be directed especially toward the same needs, or if not, toward equal or greater ones.
§2.7.5ὥστε ἐπεὶ φανερὸν καὶ οἷς καὶ ἐφʼ οἷς γίγνεται χάρις καὶ πῶς ἔχουσι, δῆλον ὅτι ἐκ τούτων παρασκευαστέον, τοὺς μὲν δεικνύντας ἢ ὄντας ἢ γεγενημένους ἐν τοιαύτῃ λύπῃ καὶ δεήσει, τοὺς δὲ ὑπηρετηκότας ἐν τοιαύτῃ χρείᾳ τοιοῦτόν τι ἢ ὑπηρετοῦντας.
So since it is clear both to whom and for what reasons kindness is shown, and in what state people are, it is evident that from these things we must construct our arguments, showing either that the one party is or has been in such pain and need, and that the other party has served or is serving them in such a need with some such service.
φανερὸν δὲ καὶ ὅθεν ἀφαιρεῖσθαι ἐνδέχεται τὴν χάριν καὶ ποιεῖν ἀχαρίστους· ἢγὰρ ὅτι αὑτῶν ἕνεκα ὑπηρετοῦσιν ἢ ὑπηρέτησαν (τοῦτο δʼ οὐκ ἦν χάρις), ἢ ὅτι ἀπὸ τύχης συνέπεσεν ἢ συνηναγκάσθησαν, ἢ ὅτι ἀπέδωκαν ἀλλʼ οὐκ ἔδωκαν, εἴτε εἰδότες εἴτε μή· ἀμφοτέρως γὰρ τὸ ἀντί τινος, ὥστε οὐδʼ οὕτως ἂν εἴη χάρις.
It is also clear from what sources we can do away with the credit of kindness and make people appear void of kindness; for we can show either that they serve or served for their own sake (and this was not kindness), or that it happened by chance or they were forced, or that they paid back but did not give, whether they knew it or not; for in both cases it is in return for something, so that not even in this way would it be kindness.
§2.7.6καὶ περὶ ἁπάσας τὰς κατηγορίας σκεπτέον· ἡ γὰρ χάρις ἐστὶν ἢ ὅτι τοδὶ ἢ τοσόνδε ἢ τοιόνδε ἢ πότε ἢ ποῦ.
And we must examine this in relation to all the categories; for kindness consists in being this specific thing, or of such an amount, or of such a quality, or at such a time, or in such a place.
σημεῖον δὲ εἰ ἔλαττον μὴ ὑπηρέτησαν, καὶ εἰ τοῖς ἐχθροῖς ἢ ταὐτὰ ἢ ἴσα ἢ μείζω· δῆλον γὰρ ὅτι οὐδὲ ταῦτα ἡμῶν ἕνεκα.
And it is a sign if they did not render even a smaller service, and if they rendered the same, or equal, or greater services to enemies; for it is clear that not even these were done for our sake.
ἢ εἰ φαῦλα εἰδώς· οὐδεὶς γὰρ ὁμολογεῖ δεῖσθαι φαύλων.
Or if the helper did so knowing the service to be trivial; for no one admits to needing trivial things.