Friendship, Frankness, and Flattery: Philodemus and the Epicurean Reception of Characterology in Peripatetic Virtue Theory

Abstract

This article explores several passages from Philodemus’ On Vices and On Frank Criticism in order to analyze the role of specific character dispositions defined by Aristotle in his Ethics, particularly those related to social interactions rooted in the exchange of words and actions. Despite the differences in terminology found in Philodemus’ writings—likely influenced by Theophrastus and Aristo— I argue for a continuity between the issues surrounding frankness as a distinctive trait of the Epicurean sage, on the one hand, and the Aristotelian definition of various ethical virtues, on the other.