1. Aristotle is analyzing the techniques and strategies that someone can use in court. Here he is discussing the topic of oaths. Oaths were a regular part of ancient legal proceedings, where participants swore a sacred oath to honor a contract. This passage repeatedly refers to one or both parties to the agreement administering (διδόναι) an oath or taking (λαμβάνειν) an oath: Aristotle begins by saying that there are four possibilities for a speaker in court with respect to an oath:

ἢ γὰρ δίδωσι καὶ λαμβάνει, ἢ οὐδέτερον, ἢ τὸ μὲν, τὸ δ ̓ οὔ, καὶ τούτων ἢ δίδωσιν μὲν, οὐ λαμβάνει δέ, ἢ λαμβάνει μὲν, δίδωσιν δὲ οὔ.

Aristotle Rhetoric 1.27-32.1377a

 

2. This passage comes from one of Plato’s dramatic dialogues. Socrates has been interrogating a prophet named Euthyphro about piety and the relationship between humans and gods. Socrates has gotten Euthyphro, reluctantly, to characterize this relationship as trade or a business transaction (ἐμπορία). Next Socrates asks:

τίς ἡ ὠφελία τοῖς θεοῖς τυγχάνει οὖσα ἀπὸ τῶν δώρων ὧν παρ’ ἡμῶν λαμβάνουσιν; ἃ μὲν γὰρ διδόασι παντὶ δῆλον (ἐστί)· οὐδὲν γὰρ ἡμῖν ἐστιν ἀγαθὸν ὅ τι ἂν μὴ ἐκεῖνοι δῶσιν. ἃ δὲ παρ’ ἡμῶν λαμβάνουσιν, τί ὠφελοῦνται; ἢ τοσοῦτον αὐτῶν πλεονεκτοῦμεν κατὰ τὴν ἐμπορίαν, ὥστε πάντα τὰ ἀγαθὰ παρ’ αὐτῶν λαμβάνομεν, ἐκεῖνοι δὲ παρ’ ἡμῶν οὐδέν; Plato Euthyphro 14e9-15a4

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