μῦθοι Mythoi
Motif

Difficult choice between relatives.

The wise and the foolish. · Wise and unwise conduct. · Choices. · Choice between evils. · view the constellation · filed as J226

Within the index

Filed under Choice between evils.

3 finer motifs beneath it
Choice of freeing one son: adopted son or long-missing son Choice: blind son with long life or healthy son with short. Latter chosen Choice: foolish son always with him or four wise daughters who will leave him. Latter chosen
Filed beside it
Four choices, all of which are evil; man to make one choice only Choice: free poverty or enslaved wealth Choice: plainness with safety or grandeur with danger Choice: loss of beauty or speech. Latter chosen Choice: suffering in youth or old age Present evil preferred to change for worse Choice of deaths Captivity preferred to death Enemies make peace rather than slay each other Choice: small injustice permitted rather than to cause troubles of state Rescue alone from shipwreck chosen over drowning with goods Choice between evils: pay tribute or lose both money and life Choice: apparent injustice over greater wrong Death preferred to other evils Choice between evils – miscellaneous

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