Arete (Excellence)
conceptThe Greek ideal of excellence — not just moral virtue, but being the best version of what you are meant to be.
The Myth
Arete meant excellence or virtue, but its scope was far broader than the English word virtue suggests. A racehorse had arete when it ran faster than all others. A knife had arete when it cut perfectly. A warrior had arete when he fought with skill and courage. A citizen had arete when he spoke well in assembly and governed justly. The concept appears in the earliest Greek literature: Achilles is told by his father Peleus to always be the best and surpass all others — this is the arete imperative. The Sophists debated whether arete could be taught or was innate. Socrates argued it was knowledge — that no one does wrong willingly, and excellence comes from understanding the good. Aristotle defined it as a habit of choosing the mean between extremes, developed through practice. The pursuit of arete shaped every Greek institution: athletic games, dramatic competitions, philosophical debate — all structured as contests to identify and celebrate the best.
Fun Fact
Aristocracy literally means rule by the best — from aristos (best) plus kratos (power), rooted in the concept of arete.
Words We Inherited
English words and phrases that trace back to this myth:
Explore Further
Arete
conceptArete was the Greek concept of excellence in all things — not merely moral virtue but the...
Arete (Concept)
conceptExcellence or virtue — the quality of being the best possible version of what something is.
Achilles
heroThe greatest warrior in the Greek army at Troy, nearly invulnerable thanks to being dipped in the...
Achilles (Wrath)
heroThe swift-footed son of Peleus and Thetis whose wrath drives the Iliad and whose choice between...
Peleus
heroKing of Phthia, Argonaut, and father of Achilles who wrestled the shape-shifting sea goddess Thetis...
Peleus (Father of Achilles)
heroThe king of Phthia who wrestled and won the sea-nymph Thetis, fathering Achilles — the greatest...
Scheria (Detail)
placeThe island of the Phaeacians, a maritime utopia of divine ships, magical gardens, and perfect...
Zeus Xenios
godAn epithet of Zeus as guardian of guests and the sacred law of hospitality (xenia), whose violation...
Nausicaa
heroNausicaa was the young princess of Scheria who found the shipwrecked Odysseus on the beach and...
Achlys
conceptThe personification of the mist of death that clouded the eyes of the dying, one of the most...
Actaeon's Transformation
conceptThe hunter who accidentally saw Artemis bathing naked and was transformed into a stag, then torn...
Adamantine Sickle
conceptThe unbreakable sickle forged by Gaia and given to Cronus to castrate his father Uranus, an act...