A. in Hom. and all writers, of persons, observant of custom or rule, Od.3.52; esp. of social rule, well-ordered, civilized, “ὑβρισταί τε καὶ ἄγριοι οὐδὲ δ.” 9.175, cf. 8.575; [“Γαλακτοφάγοι] δικαιότατοι” Il.13.6; [“Χείρων] δικαιότατος Κενταύρων” 11.832, cf. Thgn.314, 794; δ. πολίτης a good citizen, D.3.21, etc.: metaph. of the sea, Sol.12.2 (Sup.); δικαίη ζόη a civilized way of living, Hdt.2.177. Adv. δικαίως, μνᾶσθαι woo in due form, decently, Od.14.90; “ὑπὸ ζυγῷ λόφον δ. εἶχον” loyally, S.Ant.292.
2. observant of duty to gods and men, righteous, Od.13.209, etc.; “δ. πρὸς πᾶσαν ὁμιλίην” Hp.Medic. 2; “ἰθὺς καὶ δ.” Hdt.1.96; opp. δυσσεβής, A.Th.598, cf. 610; “δ. καὶ ὅσιος” Pl.Grg.507b; “δικαίων ἀδίκους φρένας παρασπᾷς” S.Ant.791 (lyr.); also of actions, etc., righteous, ἐπὶ ῥηθέντι δικαίῳ a thing rightly said, Od.18.414, etc.
B. later:
I. equal, even, well-balanced, ἅρμα δίκαιον evengoing chariot, X.Cyr.2.2.26: so metaph., “νωμᾷ δικαίῳ πηδαλίῳ στρατόν” Pi.P.1.86; “δικαιόταται ἀντιρροπαί” Hp.Art.7; δικαιότατα μοχλεύειν ibid.: hence, fair, impartial, “βάσανος” Antipho 1.8; “συγγραφεύς” Luc.Hist.Conscr.39.
b. legally exact, precise, τῷ δικαιοτάτῳ τῶν λόγων to speak quite exactly, Hdt.7.108, cf. Th.3.44; of Numbers, “αἱ ἑκατὸν ὀργυιαὶ δίκαιαι” Hdt.2.149. Adv. “-αίως, πάντα δ. ὑμῖν τετήρηται” D.21.3; δ. ἐξετάζειν ib.154.
2. lawful, just, esp. τὸ δ. right, opp. τὸ ἄδικον, Hdt.1.96, A.Pr.189 (lyr.), etc.; “τὸ δ. τὸ νόμιμον καὶ τὸ ἴσον” Arist.EN1129a34; δ. διορθωτικόν, διανεμητικόν, ib.1131b25, 27; τὸ πολιτικὸν δ. ib.1134b18; “ἔστι ἐπιεικὲς τὸ παρὰ τὸν γεγραμμένον νόμον δ.” Id.Rh.1374a27, cf. EN1137b12; “καὶ δίκαια κἄδικα” Ar. Nu.99; “τὰ ἴσα καὶ τὰ δ.” D.21.67; τοὐμὸν δ. my own right, E.IA810; ἐλθεῖν ἐπὶ τοῦτο τὸ δ. bring the case to this issue, Antipho6.24; οὐδὲν τῶν δ. ποιεῖν τινί not to do what is just and right by a man, X.HG5.3.10; τὰ δ. ἔχειν, λαμβάνειν, receive one's due, Id.An.7.7.14, 17; τὰ δ. πράττεσθαι πόλιν give a city its deserts, A.Ag.812; ἐκ τοῦ δικαίου, = δικαίως, Ar.Av.1435, cf. Th.2.89; so ἀπὸ τοῦ δικαίου, τῶν δικαίων, Inscr.Prien.50.8 (ii B. C.), 123.8 (i B. C.); “μετὰ τοῦ δ.” Lys.2.12, D.21.177; τὸ δίκαιον lawful claim, ἃ ἔχομεν δίκαια πρός . . Th.3.54, cf. D. 21.179, Plu.Luc.3, etc.; τὰ πρὸς ἀλλήλους δ. mutual obligations or contracts, Plb.3.21.10; ἐπὶ συγκειμένοις τισὶ δικαίοις on certain agreed terms, D.H.3.51. Adv. “-αίως” rightly, justly, Hdt.6.137; “μεῖζον ἢ δ.” A.Ag.376 (lyr.); “καὶ δ. καὶ ἀδίκως” And.1.135.
II. of persons and things, meet and right, fitting, “δ. τοῦδε τοῦ φόνου ῥαφεύς” A.Ag.1604; “κόσμος οὐ φέρειν δ.” Id.Eu.55; ἵππον δ. ποιεῖσθαί τινι make a horse fit for another's use, X.Mem.4.4.5, cf. Cyn.7.4 (ἵππος δ. τὴν σιαγόνα having a good mouth, Poll.1.196).
2. real, genuine, “γόνος” S.Fr.[1119]; “ποιῶν τὰ ἐν τῇ τέχνῃ δ.” Supp.Epigr.2.184.7 (Tanagra, ii B. C.). Adv., εἴπερ δικαίως ἐστ᾽ ἐμός really and truly mine, S.Aj.547, cf.Pl.Cra.418e.
3. ὁ δ. λόγος the plea of equity, Th.1.76. Adv. “-αίως” with reason, Id.6.34, cf. S.OT675: Comp. “-ότερον” Ar.V.1149, etc.; also “-οτέρως” Isoc. 15.170: Sup. “-ότατα” Ar.Av.1222; Aeol. “δικαίτατα” IG12(2).526c17 (Eresus).
C. in Prose, δίκαιός εἰμι, c. inf., δίκαιοί ἐστε ἰέναι you are bound to come, Hdt.9.60, cf. 8.137; “δ. εἰμεν ἔχειν” Id.9.27; δ. εἰμι κολάζειν I have a right to punish, Ar.Nu.1434, cf. S.Ant.400; “δ. ἐστι περιπεσεῖν κακοῖς” Antipho 3.3.7; δ. εἰσι ἀπιστότατοι εἶναι they have most reason to distrust, Th.4.17; “δ. βλάπτεσθαι” Lys.20.12; “δ. ἐστιν ἀπολωλέναι” dignus est qui pereat, D.6.37; ὁ σπουδαῖος ἄρχειν δ. has a right to . . , Arist.Pol.1287b12; with a non-personal subject, “ἔλεος δ. ἀντιδίδοσθαι” Th.3.40: less freq. in Comp. and Sup., “δικαιότεροι χαρίσασθαι” Lys.20.34; “δικαιότατος εἶ ἀπαγγέλλειν” Pl.Smp.172b; but δίκαιόν ἐστι is also found, Hdt.1.39, A.Pr.611, etc.: pl., “δίκαια γὰρ τόνδ᾽ εὐτυχεῖν” S.Aj.1126, cf. Tr.495, 1116; δικαίως ἄν, c. opt., Pl. Phdr.276a. [δικαίων with penult. short in Orph.Fr.247.2; cf. οὐ δίκαον: οὐ δίκαιον, Hsch.]