While Aristotle considered virtues good in themselves, admirable and worthwhile for eudaimonia, the virtues of Christianity were those communicated from God to man, both in the Old Testament and in the life of Jesus Christ. This practical element, the notion of training oneself in virtue, fitted the aristocratic custom of sending the children of nobles to serve in other households as pages and squires before becoming knights, during which time the chivalric arts and Christian values were to be instilled. Further, to live and breathe virtue required practical wisdom, phronesis (for an example, see here), so that one knew how best to act, having considered the situation and its implications. Training oneself in virtue was necessary to achieve eudaimonia (‘flourishing’, ‘well-being’) and therefore necessary to live a worthwhile life. For Aristotle, to develop one’s moral character requires constant, conscious effort, to make it habit. Arête is translated as both excellence and virtue arête is the root of aristocracy, meaning that a good aristocratic system is rule by the excellent and virtuous. Excellence, therefore, is not an act, but a habit”. Seemingly tautological, the meaning of this is revealed in “we are what we repeatedly do. The actions of a virtuous man are virtuous because he is virtuous. Importantly, Aristotle’s virtue ethics found a comfortable match in Christian values, the need for good deeds, and the notion of chivalry.Īs I’ve explained in a previous post, Aristotle held that virtues were not mere acts, nor superficial habits such as tea-drinking, but fundamental character traits strongly disposing someone to virtuous action. Aquinas, whom held Aristotle in high esteem, sought to synthesise Aristotelian philosophy with Christianity, and the influence of Aristotle’s ideas, such as the natural law, is clear in Summa Theologica. Thus the reintroduction of Greek philosophy to western philosophy occurred through the paradigm of Christian theologians, such as Thomas Aquinas. In Christendom, this work was almost exclusively done by monks and the clergy. The evolution of chivalry from martial honour in the 8th century to chivalry as the Christian masculine ideal in the late Middle Ages is indicative of broader developments in Christian theology and western philosophy, as well as historical context such as the Crusades.Īristotelian thought re-entered the western intellectual tradition in the 12th and 13th centuries with new translations from Arabic and Greek, prompting a re-examination of the wisdom of the ancients. The idea of a knight as being a warrior for his feudal lord, a defender of his faith and the generous, magnanimous protector of the weak incorporates the cardinal and theological virtues, and therefore exceeds the limited focus of the Hellenic heroic tradition. To these, however, were added three ‘theological’ virtues: faith, hope and charity (or love). The four cardinal virtues identified and espoused by Plato, and adopted by the Church Fathers, were prudence, justice, temperance and courage.
In the catechism of Roman Catholicism there are seven virtues which reflect the moderating influence of Christian on Hellenic values. However, the different values of Christianity vis-à-vis Hellenic paganism meant that European chivalry developed beyond simple veneration of strength, courage and honour – although these remained important.
Alexander’s cavalry Companions offer further inspiration, as do the Roman equites. The classical archetypes of heroism, with its divine heroes such as Herakles, were perhaps a starting point, and certainly reappeared explicitly in the Renaissance. Chivalry was enhanced by monastic orders of knighthood, including the Knights Templar and Knights Hospitaler.The Western conception of chivalry, originating as a martial code of honour among the warrior elite of Charlemagne, underwent significant development from the early medieval to the high medieval.
#Chivalry code basics series#
The zenith of Chivalry were the Crusades, a series of invasions of the Middle East that attempted to recapture the Holy Land from the Muslims. These represented a fusion of Christian and military morality and became the basis for gentlemanly conduct.
The chief chivalric virtues were piety, honor, valor, courtesy, chastity, and loyalty. It established a code of behavior for the landed class of mounted warriors, known as Knights.
Chivalry allows the building of knight unit, a fast attacking land unit with some defense that replaces the Chariot unit.Ĭhivalry was a system of ethical ideals that grew out of Feudalism.