KAKIA (or Cacia) was the spirit (daimona) of vice and moral badness. She was depicted as a vain, plump and heavily made-up woman dressed in revealing clothes. Her opposite number was Arete (Virtue).
PARENTS
Perhaps a daughter of NYX, though nowhere stated
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Xenophon, Memorabilia 2. 1. 21 (trans. Marchant) (Greek philosopher C5th to 4th B.C.) :
"Prodikos the wise [C5th B.C. sophist] expresses himself to the like effect concerning Arete (Virtue) in the essay On Herakles that he recites to throngs of listeners. This, so far as I remember, is how he puts it :
When Herakles was passing from boyhood to youth's estate, wherein the young, now becoming their own masters, show whether they will approach life by the path of virtue (arete) or the path of vice (kakia), he went out into a quiet place, and sat pondering which road to take. And there appeared two women of great stature making towards him. The one [Arete] was fair to see and of high bearing; and her limbs were adorned with purity, her eyes with modesty; sober was her figure, and her robe was white. The other [Kakia] was plump and soft, with high feeding. Her face was made up to heighten its natural white and pink, her figure to exaggerate her height. Open-eyed was she; and dressed so as to disclose all her charms. Now she eyed herself; anon looked whether any noticed her; and often stole a glance at her own shadow. When they drew nigh to Herakles, the first pursued the even tenor of her way : but the other, all eager to outdo her, ran to meet him, crying : `Heracles, I see that you are in doubt which path to take towards life. Make me your friend; follow me, and I will lead you along the pleasantest and easiest road. You shall taste all the sweets of life; and hardship you shall never know. First, of wars and worries you shall not think, but shall ever be considering what choice food or drink you can find, what sight or sound will delight you, what touch or perfume; what tender love can give you most joy, what bed the softest slumbers; and how to come by all these pleasures with least trouble. And should there arise misgiving that lack of means may stint your enjoyments, never fear that I may lead you into winning them by toil and anguish of body and soul. Nay; you shall have the fruits of others' toil, and refrain from nothing that can bring you gain. For to my companions I give authority to pluck advantage where they will.'
Now when Herakles heard this, he asked, `Lady, pray what is your name?'
`My friends call me Happiness,' she said, `but among those that hate me I am nicknamed Kakia (Vice).'
Meantime the other [Arete] had drawn near, and she said : `I, too, am come to you, Herakles : I know your parents and I have taken note of your character during the time of your education. Therefore I hope that, if you take the road that leads to me, you will turn out a right good doer of high and noble deeds, and I shall be yet more highly honoured and more illustrious for the blessings I bestow. But I will not deceive you by a pleasant prelude: I will rather tell you truly the things that are, as the gods have ordained them. For of all things good and fair, the gods give nothing to man without toil and effort. If you want the favour of the gods, you must worship the gods : if you desire the love of friends, you must do good to your friends : if you covet honour from a city, you must aid that city : if you are fain to win the admiration of all Hellas for virtue, you must strive to do good to Hellas : if you want land to yield you fruits in abundance, you must cultivate that land: if you are resolved to get wealth from flocks, you must care for those flocks: if you essay to grow great through war and want power to liberate your friends and subdue your foes, you must learn the arts of war from those who know them and must practise their right use : and if you want your body to be strong, you must accustom your body to be the servant of your mind, and train it with toil and sweat.'
And Kakia (Vice), as Prodikos tells, answered and said : `Herakles, mark you how hard and long is that road to joy, of which this woman tells? but I will lead you by a short and easy road to happiness.'
And Arete (Virtue) said : `What good thing is thine, poor wretch, or what pleasant thing dost thou know, if thou wilt do nought to win them? Thou dost not even tarry for the desire of pleasant things, but fillest thyself with all things before thou desirest them, eating before thou art hungry, drinking before thou art thirsty, getting thee cooks, to give zest to eating, buying thee costly wines and running to and fro in search of snow in summer, to give zest to drinking; to soothe thy slumbers it is not enough for thee to buy soft coverlets, but thou must have frames for thy beds. For not toil, but the tedium of having nothing to do, makes thee long for sleep.Thou dost rouse lust by many a