Character guide

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.