Saturday, October 27, 2007

Theophrastus

The study of the Character, as it is now known, was conceived by Aristotle’s student Theophrastus. In The Characters (c. 319 BC), Theophrastus introduced the “character sketch,” which became the core of “the Character as a genre.” It included 30 character types — twenty-six moral types and four social types. Each type is said to be an illustration of an individual who represents a group, characterized by his most prominent trait. The Theophrastan types are as follows:
The Insincere Man (Eironeia)
The Flatterer (Kolakeia)
The Garrulous Man (Adoleschia)
The Boor (Agroikia)
The Complaisant Man (Areskeia)
The Man without Moral Feeling (Aponoia)
The Talkative Man (Lalia)
The Fabricator (Logopoiia)
The Shamelessly Greedy Man (Anaischuntia)
The Pennypincher (Mikrologia)
The Offensive Man (Bdeluria)
The Hapless Man (Akairia)
The Officious Man (Periergia)
The Absent-Minded Man (Anaisthesia)
The Unsociable Man (Authadeia)
The Superstitious Man (Deisidaimonia)
The Faultfinder (Mempsimoiria)
The Suspicious Man (Apistia)
The Repulsive Man (Duschereia)
The Unpleasant Man (Aedia)
The Man of Petty Ambition (Mikrophilotimia)
The Stingy Man (Aneleutheria)
The Show-Off (Alazoneia)
The Arrogant Man (Huperephania)
The Coward (Deilia)
The Oligarchical Man (Oligarchia)
The Late Learner (Opsimathia)
The Slanderer (Kakologia)
The Lover of Bad Company (Philoponeria)
The Basely Covetous Man (Aischrokerdeia)

(from Wikipedia)

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