1 Kyriakoula Papademetriou School of Pastoral and Social Theology Faculty of Theology Aristotle University of Thessaloniki From the arete of the ancient world to the arete of the New Testament. A Semantic Investigation [Kyriakoula Papademetriou, «From the arete of the Ancient World to the arete of the New Testament. A Semantic Investigation”, eds. Eb. Bons and J. Joosten, Septuagint Vocabulary. Pre-History, Usage, Reception, Septuagint and Cognate Studies 58, Society of Biblical Literature, Atlanta 2011, 45-63] The Greek word arete (ἀΕΉΘή), i.e. virtue, maintains a constant presence in the history of the ancient Greek language. It is attested in all periods and almost in every genre of Greek texts. Furthermore, the word arete possesses an even more significant quality; one could note that its semantic content is closely related to and expresses the particular cultural perceptions and values τλ κvκχy κχζ ωνζω ξω ξψ ζωωκψωκι ξσ. Σξσθκ ζ σζωξτσȂψ ρζσμuζμκ ξψ, ηκψξικψ τωνκχψ, the vessel and the vehicle of its culture, some major words may also indicate its perception of the world and of life. Etymology In the Greek-speaking world arete is a main word, because it appears to have denoted the particular ideal of the supreme good of each historical era 1 . The root of the word 2 is associated to the root of another major, cognate, Greek word, the word aristos (ἄΕ΍ΗΘΓΖ), which means the best. Both these words are related to the root √AR of the verb ararisko (ἀΕ΅ΕίΗΎΝ) and −wξωντuω ωνκ θζuψζωξvκ ψuλλξx –isk- and the reduplication (ar-ζχǼ− τλ ωνκ unattested vκχη ȃζχτȄ ǻἄΕΝǼ, ωνζω νζψ μτω ωνκ ςκζσξσμ τλ ȃοτξσȄ, ȃθτnnκθωȄ, 1 See Οζuρ ὖuμ. Λτχωξκ, ȃΤκσιζσθκ à ρȂ ξσιξvξιuζρξψς κω χκρξμξτσ μχκθquκȄ , in The Phoenix, XII (1957): 25-34, in particular 33-34. Primarily, Werner Wilhelm Jaeger pointed out this thesis in Paedia: the Ideals of Greek Culture, vol. I (tr. Gilbert Highet; Oxford: B. Blackwell, 1969 [1939; 2 nd ed. 1945]). Cf. J.Ferguson, Morαl Values in the Ancient World (London, 1958), in particular 11- 52. Two unpublished dissertations treat of similar subject: Anne Eliz. Horner, Ancient Values: Arete and Virtus (University of Virginia, 1975); Ant. Ioannidis, Ἡ ἐΑΑΓ΍ΓΏΓγ΍Ύὴ ἐΒέΏ΍Β΍Ζ ΘΓῦ ὅΕΓΙ ἀΕεΘὴ εἰΖ ΘὴΑ ΎΏαΗΗ΍ΎὴΑ φ΍ΏΓΗΓφίαΑ Ύαὶ ΘὴΑ χΕ΍ΗΘ΍αΑ΍ΎὴΑ γΕαΐΐαΘείαΑ (Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 1984). 2 See H. Frisk, Grξκcνξscνκs κtyςτρτμξscνκs Wörtκrbucν, vol.1-3 (Heidelberg: C. Winter, 1960- 1972): 1, 136; P. Chantraine, Dξctξτσσaξrκ Étyςτlogique de la Langue Greque, Histoire des mots, vol. 1-4 (Paris: Klincksieck, 1968-1980): 1, 107; H. G. Lidell−R. Scott−M. Konstantinidis, έγα εΒ΍ΎόΑ ΘῆΖ ἙΏΏηΑ΍ΎῆΖ ΓΏώΗΗηΖ, vol. 1-4 (tr. X. Moschos; Athens: J. Sideris): 1, 378.