Essay #1

Arete means excellence in any kind and making of good character.  The ancient Greeks demonstrated this quality very well because they came up with the concept of having a democracy as their government.  The democracy was a very good idea because we still use it now.  This type of government allows any citizen to say and express what they believe in about the topics or issues the democracy is talking about.  Creating this type of government was a very big moment in history.  This demonstrates how the Greeks had character with letting anyone say what they believe about the issues in the city-state.  Socrates is also a very good example of excellence in any kind.  Socrates walked around the town explaining and helping young people figure out the problems in their lives.  He is a great example of good character because he helped others instead of being selfish with only worrying about himself.  Socrates always stood up for what he believed in no matter what the consequence was.  Even if the consequence was death, Socrates continued to stand up for what he believed in.  By doing this, he is showing young people like ourselves to stand up for what they believe in and not back down if we think there should be a change.  He was an excellent example as a person of good character and excellence in any kind.