Greek Society vs. Socrates

Greek Society vs. Socrates

What make a man virtuous? Throughout many texts of Greek society the picture of a perfect man is painted and apparent. This man, the “perfect man”, is the virtuous Greek citizen. Who is virtuous not only in the eyes of society, but also at home, in war, and in his relationship to the God(s). Also in Greek society, there was a man named Socrates who’s opinion differed with his culture’s thoughts, and he constructed his own thoughts and beliefs of what characteristics a virtuous man should hold. Not only did Greek society have thoughts of what their virtuous man should be; Roman society did as well. All cultures have a belief of what a virtuous human is and it is described in four ways: in the home, at war, political life, and one’s relationship to the God(s).

First, Greek society’s virtuous man was noble. Noble men in Greek society “lived to prove their strength and honor in combat against their equals, which was the one true test of social value” (Kishlansky 44). The virtuous man is described as a great warrior in Greek society. For example, in Homer’s

The Iliad, Achilles is described as the greatest warrior in the world. Also, he was practically invulnerable as a fighter because at birth, his moth had dipped him in the River Styx, rendering him immortal everywhere but the heel, where she had held him (Sources of the West 40). As apparent by Achilles reputation as the greatest warrior in the world it is evident that society held him up as the example of a virtuous man.

Virtuous men in Greek society were not only warriors but fathers as well. The head of the household was in charge of perpetuating the family, worshiping acncestors, maintaining family’s economic worth, insisted...

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...an was virtuous or not. However, in Socrates’ view the only kind of person who would be named virtuous was one who was able to follow God’s order without question. Hence, society believed they where able to create themselves virtuous, but in the eyes of Socrates God was the only one who was able to reward a person of virtuousness. Ways society judged virtuousness was by the man’s ability to fight, maintain control of his household, and worshiping his ancestors and the polis’ Gods. These virtues where not important to Socrates, because he believed in himself and his morals. Things Socrates did that God deemed moral was the way in which Socrates measured his own virtues. I think Socrates was correct; it should not matter what a person’s peers think but only what God thinks, because when the time comes God’s judgement is the only one that really matters.