Arete

courage and strength in the face of adversity

Ideas associated with Arete

• Bravery and courage
• Not associated with moral overtones or mercy with are associated with christianity
• associated with virtue and virture is knowledge and wisdom
• Something that was publicy displayed
• Something that was habiuated and practiced
• metis and polymetis - cunning
• kleos - glory and fame
• Aristotle said that aspiring to virture through the knowldege and wisdom would allow the person to reach Eudaimonia or flourishing
• time act of excellence demonstrating honor.

Arete and possessors or Arete

Mentor, a wise, older friend of Odysseus, was given the responsibility of teaching and guiding Telemakhos when Odysseus left to fight against Troy. When Telemachus was older, and still waiting for the return of his father, Mentor reminded Telemachus that although Akhilleus was invincible and spread terror and death wherever he fought he never left Troy but suffered death there himself. Mentor noted how Odysseus allowed prudence to govern his courage and that the combination of Odysseus' cleverness and martial skills finally brought down the walls of Troy

Odyesseus lives while Akhilleus dies. Does that signify he has more Arete? According to Homer, though, being a hero involves having four qualities: xenia, or guest friendship, a law made and honored by Zeus; basileia, or respect for authority; time, or honor; and finally, most importantly, arête, or excellence, the final sum of the other three put together and then anything extra. Death, in fact, does not make or break a hero. It is what a man does with his life that pronounces the verdict on him after he dies.

Should we should consider them separately or take the Aristolian concept of virtues that you can not have one without the other. If you were to split them up then Akhilleus would score high on honor. For example Revenging Patroclus and when his sense of dishonor towards him is piqued over the snatching away from him of Briseis. But honor is also hubris in that it led to Patroclus' death at th hands of Hektor. For respect he would score low. He does not show respect for Agamemnon maybe for good reason, but he clearly does not respect his troops either by sulking. For hospitality and order he score's high when he gives up Hektor's body to Priam

Odysseus, on the other hand is appalled by the lack of xenia displayed by Polyphemos but then shows a lack of respect by taunting him and angering Poseidon. Similarly, he is enraged by the abuse of hospitality and lack of respect shown by the suitors. As far as he possesses Arete we can say he is courageous, cunning My name is nobody wily, resouceful, practiced - probably a bit more rounded then Akhilleus although his lack or mercy and double standards when it comes to fidelity (Kirke and Kalypso) and the fact he loses his crew (although it is not entirely his fault) point to multi-faceted character. Is Odysseus what we would now say is a modern day Machievellian character?

Accidence and chance

These play a profound affect on one's arete according to Dean Hammer in the Iliad as Politics. Arete is bestowed and taken away by the gods. Wilcocks asserts that chnance just confirms ones allotment of Arete. Vernant argues that to defile the body is to strip it of any outward signs of Arete and bound up with the idea of a perfect body as an ideal and representative of excellence. The Tragedy of Hektor conveys a sense that he was unlucky to kill Patroclus thinking it was Akhilleus, which would have enhanced his Arete and is forced to take on Akhilleus is combat and momentarily has a loss of nerve before knowing that his moira destiny is to fight and probably against all odds die.

Hektor, although a Trojan, demonstrates belief in Greek values during his farewell to Andromache. After his wife attempts to convince him not to fight, Hector says unflinchingly “I would feel deep shame / before the Trojans … if like a coward I were to shrink aside from the fighting” (Homer 6.441-443). This shows his arete and time: Hector is the best Trojan fighter, and he remains loyal to Troy. Hektor also wants men to say to his wife, “This is the wife of Hector, who was ever the bravest fighter” (Homer6.460), which implies that Hektor fights as a quest for kleos through demonstrating arete. Hektor’s employment of time and arete shows the great effect of these values even on one’s family life. Ultimately he loses so this is a big dent to his Arete

Arete, the pursuit of excellence, was a significant part of the paideia, the ancient Greek process of training boys to become men. This training in arete included: physical training, for which the Greeks developed the gymnasion; mental training, which included oratory, rhetoric, and basic sciences; and spiritual training, which included music and what is called virtue. Arete is not about winning or competition or a quest for superiority.

The Long Path to Arete

In ancient Greece, arete or excellence was demonstrated skill. It was the repeated performance of excellent actions that produced arete. Athletes continued to compete over and over again. The same was true of musicians, artists, poets, etc. Arete became a way of life.

Scholars of elite performance have identified what is often referred to as a 10-year rule: it seems that one must invest at least a decade of focused work to master something and bring greatness within reach.

Heraclitus said, "You cannot step into the same river twice, for fresh waters are ever flowing in upon you." Arete is developed, and maintained, one day at a time.

Which hero has the greatest arete – Akhilleus, Hektor or Odysseus?

When deliberating this question we need a working definition of Arete and a method by which we can measure it and compare and contrast the merits of Akhilleus, Hektor and Odysseus [quite so]. Arete means excellence but it means much more. It has associations with notions such as excellence of virtue, bravery and courage, metis (cunning), Kleos (glory), time (honour), and xenia (hospitality and order). Immediately, we see these are character-based traits and combined provide a general definition of a heroic quality. We are faced with a dilemma however, as there are shifting views over the ages as to what defines excellence of character. Christian ideas broadened our view of excellence to include more than just prowess on the battlefield to include virtues such as mercy and justice. Should the measurement of arete be based on a Greek view of the world or a 21st Century one? I will adopt the Greek view and define it as “a well-entrenched excellence of character shorn of moralistic overtones”

Arete is also something practiced but never totally mastered. It is a noble quality bestowed by the gods and not given to an ordinary man and, therefore Hektor, Odysseus and Akhilleus qualify. We observe that all three are mighty warriors, who publicly display their courage. The swift-footed Akhilleus is perhaps the greater of the warriors and demonstrates his excellence on the battlefield and has a strong sense of honor, which causes him to revenge the death of Patroclus. He is the slayer of the greatest warrior in Troy, Hektor. However, when slighted by Agamemnon, he puts the success of the war at risk and shows little regard for his fellow Myrmidons. His arete is not balanced therefore, a little more reckless than brave and his idea of honor is somewhat more selfish.

Hektor is the predominant Trojan warrior. His kleos, time and xenia are beyond reproach. His moment of crisis outside the walls of Troy could be considered a lack of courage but his contemplation of the heroic code gives him, I believe, an excellence of character that an unthinking, uncritical Akhilleus does not possess. He regains his composure coming to terms with the duty he has to perform and as well as his destiny (moira).

“Even so, let me not die ingloriously without a fight, but in some great action which those men yet to come will hear about.

Chance and destiny play a role here. If he had not mistakenly killed Patroclus, would he have led Troy to ultimate victory with an enhanced arête or is destiny a way the gods rebalance a hero’s arête? Alternatively, is dying a heroic death the most outwardly public display of Arete? This last view is probably the one Hektor ascribed to and facing probable death he requests that Akhilleus treat his body with respect so that he can have a noble burial. In fact, Akhilleus defiles the body to strip it of any outward signs of arete , which also serves to show Akhilleus acting dishonorably.

Odysseus has similar qualities to Hektor and Akhilleus. A noble and great warrior who has respect for order, but he has more. He possesses practical wisdom, knowledge and above all polymetis. He is ever cunning and resourceful. Ultimately, it is his cunning by using a Wooden Horse to gain entry into Troy that was the deciding factor in the War. His adventures in the Odyssey are testament to his resourcefulness, overcoming the situations he faces. Outwitting and tricking the Cyclops, negotiating with Aeolus to blow him back to Ithaka; building a raft to escape from Kalypso; disguising himself and testing his countrymen and ultimately revenging the suitors for abusing his wife’s and son’s xenia.

Odysseus is not without criticism. He is sometimes the architect of the predicaments he finds himself in. Yet it is important to him to publicly display his cunning so that everyone knows it even if it opens him up to further danger as it does when he angers Poseidon. His execution of the serving maids is more gruesome than it had to be. However, we do not need to like our heroes to respect their pre-Christian heroic qualities bereft of mercy and forgiveness. For these reasons Odysseus has the greatest arete.