Aletheia
conceptTruth understood as unconcealment — the revealing of what was hidden.
The Myth
The Greek word for truth literally means "un-forgetting" or "un-concealment" (a-letheia, the negation of lethe, forgetting). This etymology fascinated Heidegger, who argued it revealed that the Greeks understood truth not as correspondence between statement and fact, but as the active process of bringing things out of hiddenness into the open. Whether or not Heidegger was right about the Greeks, the concept influenced 20th-century philosophy profoundly and connects truth to the mythological River Lethe of forgetting.
Symbols
Fun Fact
The word contains Lethe, the river of forgetting in the Underworld — truth, for the Greeks, was literally the opposite of the oblivion that erased the dead.
Words We Inherited
English words and phrases that trace back to this myth:
Explore Further
Lethe
placeLethe was the River of Forgetfulness in the underworld — the dead drank from it to erase all memory...
Lethe (Goddess)
godLethe was the goddess and river of forgetting — the dead drank from her waters to erase their...
Underworld
placeThe Underworld was the vast subterranean realm where all mortal souls went after death — a...
Aegis
conceptThe aegis was a divine shield or breastplate belonging to Zeus and wielded by Athena, fringed with...
Agape
conceptSelfless, unconditional love — the highest form of love in Greek philosophical and theological...
Ajax (Shield)
conceptAjax's shield was a massive tower shield of seven ox-hides layered with bronze — the largest...
Amazonomachy
conceptThe Amazonomachy was the legendary battle between the Athenians and the Amazons who invaded Athens...
Ambrosia
conceptAmbrosia was the food of the Olympian gods — anyone who consumed it became immortal, but mortals...
Anagnorisis
conceptAnagnorisis was the moment of recognition in tragedy — when the hero discovers the truth about...
Aporia
conceptA state of philosophical puzzlement where contradictory arguments seem equally strong.
Apotropaic
conceptApotropaic rituals and symbols were used to ward off evil, bad luck, and malicious spirits — from...
Arete
conceptArete was the Greek concept of excellence in all things — not merely moral virtue but the...