Greek mythology Greek mythology is the body of myths originally told by the Ancient Greece, ancient Greeks, and a genre of ancient Greek folklore, today absorbed alongside Roman mythology into the broader designation of classical mythology. These stories conc ...

, ''Pistis'' (;

Ancient Greek Ancient Greek (, ; ) includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the classical antiquity, ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Greek ...

: Πίστις) was the personification of

good faith In human interactions, good faith () is a sincere intention to be fair, open, and honest, regardless of the outcome of the interaction. Some Latin phrases have lost their literal meaning over centuries, but that is not the case with , which i ...

, trust and reliability. In Christianity and in the New Testament, ''pistis'' is typically translated as "faith". The word is mentioned together with such other personifications as ''Elpis'' (Hope), ''

sophrosyne Sophrosyne () is an ancient Greek concept of an ideal of excellence of character and soundness of mind, which when combined in one well-balanced individual leads to other qualities, such as temperance, moderation, prudence, purity, decorum, ...

'' (Prudence), and the ''

Charites In Greek mythology, the Charites (; ), singular Charis (), also called the Graces, are goddesses who personify beauty and grace. According to Hesiod, the Charites were Aglaia (Grace), Aglaea, Euphrosyne, and Thalia (Grace), Thalia, who were the ...

'', who were all associated with honesty and harmony among people. Her Roman equivalent was ''Fides'', a personified concept significant in Roman culture. Additionally, a close linkage between ''pistis'' and persuasion developed through the discussion of faith (belief) and was further morphed by an understanding of ''pistis'' as a rhetorical technique.

In rhetoric

''Pistis'' in rhetoric can mean "proof" and is the element to induce true judgment through enthymemes, hence to give "proof" of a statement. There are three modes by which this is employed. The first mode is the "subject matter capable of inducing a state of mind within the audience." The second ''pistis'' is the "subject itself considered under an appeal to the intellect or in its logical aspects." The third ''pistis'' is the "logical, rational, and intellectual aspect of the issue under discussion." All three modes of ''pistis'' occur in logos as it appeals to logical persuasion.

Greek rhetoric and Christianity

New Testament translators favor the English word "faith" when translating ''pistis.'' Some have argued that the Christian concept of faith (''pistis'') was borrowed from Greek rhetorical notions of ''pistis'', perhaps making "argument" a better translation than "faith". Christian ''pistis'' deems its persuasion in a positive light as the New Testament concepts of pistis require that a listener be knowledgeable of the subject matter at issue and thus able to fully assent. Whereas, the Greeks took the notion of ''pistis'' as persuasive discourse that was elliptical and concentrated on the "affect and effect rather than on the representation of the truth". The evolution of ''pistis'' in Christianity as a persuasive rhetorical technique starkly contrasts with its meaning used by the Greeks. More recent scholarship has argued for a more robust understanding of ''pistis'' that moved beyond a concept of "belief''".'' Teresa Morgan has argued for the concept of "trust". Matthew Bates argues for "allegiance".

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* * * Greek goddesses Personifications in Greek mythology Faith {{Greek-deity-stub

In rhetoric

Greek rhetoric and Christianity

See also

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