μῦθοι Mythoi
Motif
In our texts — keyword-matched, unreviewed
Within the index

Filed under Choice between evils.

6 finer motifs beneath it
Army faces enemy rather than the anger of their king who would kill them if they returned in flightLamb prefers to be sacrificed in temple rather than to be eaten by a wolfCrab would rather be killed outright than imprisoned and starvedSoldier asks to be stabbed in chest. Prostrate soldier asks enemy to stab him in chest instead of back in order to save his honor. Captor frees him and the two become friendsEarly death with fame preferredSaint chooses to die "after pride of youth" and before "misery of old age."
Filed beside it
Four choices, all of which are evil; man to make one choice onlyChoice: free poverty or enslaved wealthChoice: plainness with safety or grandeur with dangerChoice: loss of beauty or speech. Latter chosenChoice: suffering in youth or old agePresent evil preferred to change for worseCaptivity preferred to deathEnemies make peace rather than slay each otherChoice: small injustice permitted rather than to cause troubles of stateRescue alone from shipwreck chosen over drowning with goodsChoice between evils: pay tribute or lose both money and lifeChoice: apparent injustice over greater wrongDifficult choice between relativesDeath preferred to other evilsChoice between evils – miscellaneous

wander