Arete
Excellence or virtue — the quality of being the best possible version of what something is.
The Meaning of Arete
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. See our full guide to English words from Greek mythology.
Explore Further
Arete
💭 conceptThe pursuit of excellence in all domains
The Greek ideal of excellence — not just moral virtue, but being the best version of what you are meant to be.
Arete
💭 conceptExcellence and virtue
Arete was the Greek concept of excellence in all things — not merely moral virtue but the fulfilment of one's highest potential in body, mind, and character.
Andreia
💭 conceptethics, virtue
Courage or manliness — one of the cardinal virtues in Greek ethics, specifically the virtue that enables facing danger and death without flinching.
Timē
💭 conceptethics, social values
Honor, worth, or the social recognition owed to a person of standing — the currency of Homeric social life and a central concept in Greek ethics.
Ethos
💭 conceptRhetoric and Character
The Greek concept of moral character as a mode of persuasion, rooted in habit and reputation.
Heroic Ideal
💭 conceptEthics
The Greek conception of the exemplary human who transcends ordinary limits through excellence and suffering
Heroic Code
💭 conceptEthics
The moral framework governing honour, glory, and conduct among Greek heroes
Stoicism
💭 conceptPhilosophy
A Hellenistic school teaching virtue, rational self-control, and acceptance of fate as the path to flourishing
Eudaimonia
💭 conceptThe Greek ideal of a well-lived life
The supreme good in Greek ethics — not happiness in the modern sense, but the flourishing that comes from living well and doing well.
Aristos
💭 conceptsocial structure, ethics
The best — the superlative of agathos (good), identifying those who excel in virtue, birth, or achievement above all others.
Aidos
💭 conceptShame, modesty, and reverence
Aidos was the Greek concept of shame, reverence, and the inner sense of propriety that restrained people from acting dishonourably — the opposite of hubris.
Ergon
💭 conceptphilosophy, ethics
Work, function, or characteristic activity — the proper work of a thing that defines its excellence and constitutes its good.