Nicomachean Ethics · Characters
Character guide
Key figures in Nicomachean Ethics by Aristotle.
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Aristotle
major
Aristotle frames his inquiry as a kind of political science, insisting that the good of a whole city is grander and more divine than the good of one man. He warns that noble and just things are so various and uncertain that we must accept only as much precision as the subject allows. That tension—between wanting firm answers and honoring messy human experience—shapes every argument that follows.
Homer
supporting
Homer supplies the phrase 'two together' to show why friends make us more efficient in thought and action, and his authority quietly underwrites Aristotle's claim that friendship, not justice, is the bond holding states together. He never speaks in his own voice here; he arrives as quotation, a cultural memory that philosophy must reckon with. His presence reminds readers that these ethical questions were being lived and sung long before they were systematized.
Socrates
supporting
Socrates hovers behind Aristotle's warning about a sick man who listens attentively to the doctor and then disobeys every order—philosophizing that produces no healthy habit of mind. He represents the danger that talking beautifully about virtue can substitute for acquiring it. His example sharpens Aristotle's insistence that virtue is a trained faculty, not a feeling or a clever argument.
Plato
supporting
Plato's influence surfaces in the puzzles Aristotle inherits: whether friendship requires likeness or thrives on opposition, whether the good is one or many. The text treats these as live difficulties rather than settled doctrine, and Plato stands behind them as the teacher whose positions must be tested, not merely repeated. His absence as a named speaker is itself telling—Aristotle is working in a tradition, not starting from nothing.
Eudoxus
minor
Philosopher whose views on pleasure are discussed.
Solon
minor
Athenian lawgiver cited in discussions of happiness and fortune.
Hector
minor
Trojan hero from Homer, used as example of courage.
Priam
minor
King of Troy, cited in discussions of misfortune.
Heraclitus
minor
Pre-Socratic philosopher referenced on change and flux.
Empedocles
minor
Philosopher cited in discussions of the soul and elements.
Anaxagoras
minor
Philosopher mentioned in context of intellect and causation.
Theognis
minor
Poet quoted on virtue and friendship.
Sophocles
minor
Tragedian cited for dramatic examples of character.
Euripides
minor
Playwright referenced in discussions of emotion and choice.
Zeus
minor
Chief god in Greek mythology, referenced in examples.
Aphrodite
minor
Goddess of love, mentioned in discussions of desire.
Thetis
minor
Sea nymph and mother of Achilles, cited in Homeric examples.
Diomede
minor
Greek hero in the Iliad, used as example of valor.
Glaucus
minor
Lycian leader in Homer, cited in friendship discussions.
Neoptolemus
minor
Son of Achilles, referenced in ethical dilemmas.
Ulysses
minor
Also known as Ulysses
Odysseus, Homeric hero used as example of cunning and endurance.
Calypso
minor
Nymph who detained Odysseus, mentioned in passing.
Agathon
minor
Tragic poet referenced in discussions of love and friendship.
Pittacus
minor
One of the Seven Sages, cited on moderation.
Speusippus
minor
Plato's nephew and successor, cited in ethical debates.
Polyclitus
minor
Sculptor referenced in analogies about proportion.
Satyrus
minor
Philosopher or historical figure mentioned in passing.
Alcmaeon
minor
Mythological figure cited in discussions of justice.
Bywater
minor
Also known as Ingram Bywater
Modern editor of the Greek text, referenced in notes.
J. A. Stewart
minor
Also known as See J. A. Stewart
Commentator on Aristotle's ethics, referenced in notes.
Pericles
minor
Athenian statesman cited in political and ethical contexts.
Phalaris
minor
Tyrant of Acragas, used as example of extreme cruelty.
Trendelenburg
minor
Scholar cited in textual or philosophical commentary.
Kant
minor
Modern philosopher mentioned in comparative ethical discussion.