Arete (Concept)
conceptExcellence or virtue — the quality of being the best possible version of what something is.
The Myth
Arete meant excellence in the broadest sense: a fast horse has arete, a sharp knife has arete, and a courageous warrior has arete. It was not exclusively moral — Homer's heroes pursued arete through battlefield glory, while Socrates redirected it toward moral virtue. The concept implies that everything has a function, and arete is performing that function superbly. For the Greeks, the unexamined life lacked arete because self-knowledge was the foundation of all other excellences.
Symbols
Fun Fact
The name Aretha (as in Aretha Franklin) derives from arete — it literally means "excellence," which fans of the Queen of Soul might consider apt.
Words We Inherited
English words and phrases that trace back to this myth:
Explore Further
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