δίκαιος
Gram. adj di^kai os_h_on
Gram. adj di^kai os_on
Etym. δίκη
A. in Hom. and early writers,
I. of persons, "observant of custom and social rule, well-ordered, civilised", Od.; so, δικαίη ζόη a "regular" way of living, Hdt.:—adv., δικαίως μνᾶσθαι to woo "in due form, decently", Od.
2. "observant of right, righteous", Hom., etc.:—so of actions, "in accordance with right, righteous", id=Hom.
B. later usage:
I. of things, "even, well-balanced", ἅρμα δίκαιον Xen.:— "regular, exact, rigid", ὀργυιαὶ δίκαιαι Hdt.; τῷ δικαιοτάτῳ τῶν λόγων to speak "quite exactly", id=Hdt.; πάντα δικαίως τετήρηται Dem.
2. "right, lawful, just", τὸ δίκαιον "right", opp. to τὸ ἄδικον, Hdt., etc.; also, "a right, a lawful claim", Thuc., etc.:—adv. -ως, "rightly, justly", Hdt., etc.
II. of persons, as well as things, like Lat. justus, meet, right, fitting, Aesch.; ἵππον δ. ποιεῖσθαί τινι to make a horse "fit for" another's "use", Xen.
2. "real, genuine, true", Dem., συγγραφεύς Luc.:—adv. -ως, "really and truly", Soph.
3. "fair, moderate", like μέτριος, Thuc.: —δικαίως "with reason", Soph., Thuc.
C. in Prose, δίκαιός εἰμι with inf., δίκαιοί ἐστε ἰέναι you "are bound" to come, Hdt.; δ. εἰμι κολάζειν I "have a right" to punish, Ar.; δίκαιοί εἰσι ἀπιστότατοι εἶναι they "have reason" to be most distrustful, Thuc.; δ. ἐστιν ἀπολωλέναι "dignus est qui pereat", Dem.:—we should say δίκαιόν ἐστι, which also occurs.