The Characters of Theophrastus (ePub)

Theophrastus, born around 371 BCE in Eresos, Lesbos, was an ancient Greek philosopher and successor to Aristotle in the Peripatetic school. As a prolific author, he significantly contributed to the disciplines of botany, ethics, physics, and metaphysics, among others. His most celebrated work, 'The Characters of Theophrastus', remains an insightful exploration of human behavior and social types (Theophrastus, 1870). This collection of 30 brief, yet profound, character sketches provides valuable observations of the foibles and virtues observed in everyday life, demonstrating Theophrastus's keen eye for the subtleties of human personality and behavior, thereby cementing his place in the annals of literature as the 'father of character writing' (Fortenbaugh & Gutas, 1992). His writing style in 'The Characters' is marked by its clarity, precision, and use of lexis suitable for capturing the idiosyncrasies of the individuals he describes. Theophrastus's influence extended beyond his own era, with his work being studied and admired during the Renaissance and contributing to the development of character literature in the 17th century. His contributions to various fields and his unique approach to studying human nature through literary sketches have secured Theophrastus a lasting legacy in the pantheon of classical literature (Diggle, 2004).