Key Homeric Concepts

These are some of the key concepts in the Homeric poems, with rough English translations:

αἰδώς / aidôs: shame

ἀρετή / aretê:  excellence, virtue, manliness

ἄτη / atê: divine temptation or infatuation

βασιλεύς / Basileus: King, Chieftain

γέρας / geras: a gift or prize of honor

εὐβουλία / euboulia: excellence in counsel; sound judgement

θυμός / thûmos: spirit, the life-force; strength, courage

ἶφι / iphi: mightily, through might - often used to describe how a king rules

κλεός / kleos: fame, glory, renown

μένος / menos: force, might, often of supernatural origin

μῆνις / mênis: wrath, particularly divine wrath, but also used to describe the wrath of Achilles

μοῖρα / moira: one's lot or fate

ξενία / xenia: hospitality, the rights of a guest, the friendly relationship between two foreigners

οἶκος / oikos: household, family unit

τιμή / time: honor, dignity

φιλότης / philotês: friendship