Kitap 4
6
He that claims much but does not deserve much is vain; though not everybody who claims more than he deserves is vain.The term χαῦνος does not apply to a man who deserves much but claims even more, nor to one who claims little but deserves even less.
7
He that claims less than he deserves is small-souled, whether his deserts be great or only moderate, or even though he deserves little, if he claims still less. The most small-souled of all would seem to be the man who claims less than he deserves when his deserts are great; for what would he have done had he not deserved so much?
8
Though therefore in regard to the greatness of his claim the great-souled man is an extreme,Cf. 2.6.17. by reason of its rightness he stands at the mean point, for he claims what he deserves; while the vain and the small-souled err by excess and defect respectively.
9
If then the great-souled man claims and is worthy of great things and most of all the greatest things, Greatness of Soul must be concerned with some one object especially.
10
Worthy is a term of relation: it denotes having a claim to goods external to oneself. Now the greatest external good we should assume to be the thing which we offer as a tribute to the gods, and which is most coveted by men of high station, and is the prize awarded for the noblest deeds; and such a thing is honor, for honor is clearly the greatest of external goods. Therefore the great-souled man is he who has the right disposition in relation to honors and disgraces.
