ἀρετή

A. goodness, excellence, of any kind, in Hom. esp. of manly qualities, ποδῶν ἀρετὴν ἀναφαίνων Il. 20.411; ἀμείνων παντοίας ἀρετὰς ἠμὲν πόδας ἠδὲ μάχεσθαι καὶ νόον 15.642; so of the gods, τῶν περ καὶ μείζων ἀ. τιμή τε βίη τε 9.498; also of women, Od. 2.206; ἀ. εἵνεκα for valour, Hdt. 8.92: pl., ἀ. ἀπεδείκνυντο displayed brave deeds, Id. 1.176, 9.40.

b. later, of the gods, chiefly in pl., glorious deeds, wonders, miracles, SIG 1172, Str. 17.1.17; ζῶσαι ἀ. IG 14.966, cf. 1 Ep.Pet. 2.9: also in sg., ὄψιν ἰδοῦσα ἀρετὴν τῆς θεοῦ IG 2.1426 b, cf. Isyll. 62, BSA 21.169,180.

2. generally, excellence, ἡ ἀ. τελείωσίς τις Arist. Metaph. 1021b20, cf.EN 1106a15, etc.; of persons, ἄνδρα πὺξ ἀρετὰν εὑρόντα Pi. O. 7.89, cf. P. 4.187, B. 9.13, etc.; τὸ φρονεῖν ἀ. μεγίστη Heraclit. 112: in pl., forms of excellence, μυρίαι ἀνδρῶν ἀ. B. 13.8, cf. Gorg. Fr. 8, etc.; δικαστοῦ αὕτη ἀ. Pl. Ap. 18a; esp. moral virtue, Democr. 179, 263, al., Gorg. Fr. 6; opp. κακία, X. Mem. 2.1.21, cf.Pl. R. 500d, Lg. 963a, 963c sq., D. 60.17, Arist. EN 1102a6, Pol. 1295a37, etc.; good nature, kindness, etc., E. Fr. 163.

b. of animals, things, as land, Hdt. 4.198, 7.5, Th. 1.2; ἡ ἐν ἀρετῇ κειμένη γῆ productive land, PTeb. 5.165 (ii B. C.); ἵππου Hdt. 3.88; κυνῶν, ἵππων, Pl. R. 335b; σκεύους ib.601d; [ἀστακοῦ] Archestr. Fr. 24; ἀ. βίου Pl. R. 618c; πολιτείας Lg. 886b, etc.

3. prosperity, Od. 13.45.

II. ἀ. εἴς τινα active merit, good service done him, ἐς τοὺς Ἕλληνας Th. 3.58, cf. 2.40; ἀ. περί τινα X. An. 1.4.8; ἀνταποδοῦναι ἀ. Th. 4.19; ἀρετὰς παρασχέσθαι ὑπέρ τινος D. 19.312; ἀρετῆς ἕνεκα, freq. in honorary Inscrr., IG 22.107.14, etc.

III. reward of excellence, distinction, fame, πλούτῳ δ’ ἀρετὴ καὶ κῦδος ὀπηδεῖ Hes. Op. 313, cf. Sapph. 80, Pi. N. 5.53, al.; ἀθάνατος ἀ. S. Ph. 1420, Pl. Smp. 208d; ἃ ἆθλα τοῦ πολέμου τοῖς ἀνδράσιν ἐστίν, ἐλευθερία καὶ ἀ. Lycurg. 49; of God, δόξα καὶ ἀ. 2 Ep.Pet. 1.3: in pl., glories, Thgn. 30, Pi. N. 10.2, al.; πλοῦτος ἀρεταῖς δεδαιδαλμένος Id. O. 2.53; γενναίων ἀ. πόνων E. HF 357 (lyr.), cf. Lys. 2.26; προγόνων ἀ. Pl. R. 618b; in LXX freq. of the praises of God, Is. 42.8, al.

IV. Ἀρετή personified, Prodic. 1, Arist. Fr. 675, Callix. 2, CIG 2786, SIG 985.10, etc.

V. ἡ ἀ. σου as a title, Your worship, PLips. 13 ii 20, etc.

VI. an engine of war, Ath.Mech. 38.11.

VII. a plaster, Androm. ap. Gal. 13.531.