Where does Areté come from?

Arete comes from ancient Greece and is the most articulated value in Greek culture. Translated as "virtue," the word actually means something closer to "being the best you can be", or "reaching your highest human potential". The term from Homeric times onwards is not gender specific. Homer applies the term of both the Greek and Trojan heroes as well as major female figures, such as Penelope, the wife of the Greek hero, Odysseus.

In the Homeric poems, areté is frequently associated with bravery, but more often, with effectiveness. The man or woman of areté is a person of the highest effectiveness; they use all their faculties: strength, bravery, wit, and deceptiveness, to achieve real results. In the Homeric world as today, areté incorporates all of the abilities and potentialities available to humans.