The Seven Virtues were derived from the Psychomachia ('Contest of the Soul'), an epic poem written by Aurelius Clemens Prudentius (c. 410) entailing the battle of good virtues and evil vices. The intense popularity of this work in the Middle Ages helped to spread the concept of Holy Virtue throughout Europe. Practicing these virtues is alleged to protect one against temptation from the Seven Deadly Sins, with each one having its counterpart. Due to this they are sometimes referred to as the contrary virtues. There are two distinct variations of the virtues, recognized by different groups. The Psychomachia (Battle of Souls) by the medieval Latin poet Prudentius is probably the first and most influential medieval allegory, and inspired works as diverse as the Romance of the Rose, Everyman and Piers Plowman. ... The epic is a broadly defined genre of poetry, and one of the major forms of narrative literature. ... Aurelius Prudentius Clemens was an Roman Christian poet, born in the Roman province of Tarraconensis (in Northern Spain) in 348. ... For the philosophical concept of goodness see Goodness and value theory. ... Vice is a practice or habit that is considered immoral, depraved, and/or degrading in the associated society. ... The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times, beginning with the Renaissance. ... Holiness means the state of being holy, that is, set apart for the worship or service of a god or gods. ... This article is 150 kilobytes or more in size. ... Personification of virtue (Greek ἀρετή) in Celsus Library in Ephesos, Turkey Virtue (Latin virtus; Greek ) is moral excellence of a person. ... A temptation is an act that looks appealing to an individual. ... For other uses, see Cardinal sin (disambiguation). ...

The Virtues

Ranked in ascending order of sanctity, the seven holy virtues are:

• Chastity (Latin, castitas) (purity, opposes lust, Latin luxuria) —
  Courage and boldness. Embracing of moral wholesomeness and achieving purity of thought through education and betterment.

• Abstinence (Latin, frenum) (self-control, opposes gluttony, Latin gula) —
  Constant mindfulness of others and one's surroundings; practicing self-control, abstention, and moderation.

• Liberality (Latin, liberalitas) (will, generosity, opposes greed, Latin avaritia) —
  Generosity. Willingness to give. A nobility of thought or actions.

• Diligence (Latin, industria) (ethics, opposes sloth, Latin acedia) —
  A zealous and careful nature in one's actions and work. Decisive work ethic. Budgeting one's time; monitoring one's own activities to guard against laziness.

• Patience (Latin, patientia) (peace, opposes wrath, Latin ira) —
  Forbearance and endurance through moderation. Resolving conflicts peacefully, as opposed to resorting to violence. The ability to forgive; to show mercy to sinners.

• Kindness (Latin, humanitas) (satisfaction, opposes envy, Latin invidia) —
  Charity, compassion, friendship, and sympathy without prejudice and for its own sake.

• Humility (Latin, humilitas) (modesty, opposes pride, Latin superbia) —
  Modest behavior, selflessness, and the giving of respect. Giving credit where credit is due; not unfairly glorifying one's own self.

Allegory of chastity by Hans Memling. ... ... For other uses, see Cardinal sin (disambiguation). ... Abstinence is a voluntary restraint from indulging a desire or appetite for certain bodily activities that are widely experienced as giving pleasure. ... For other uses, see Cardinal sin (disambiguation). ... Look up liberal on Wiktionary, the free dictionary Liberal may refer to: Politics: Liberalism American liberalism, a political trend in the USA Political progressivism, a political ideology that is for change, often associated with liberal movements Liberty, the condition of being free from control or restrictions Liberal Party, members of... Look up will in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Look up generosity in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... For other uses, see Cardinal sin (disambiguation). ... The introduction to this article provides insufficient context for those unfamiliar with the subject matter. ... Ethics (from the Ancient Greek ēthikos, the adjective of ēthos custom, habit), a major branch of philosophy, including genetics is the study of values and customs of a person or group. ... For other uses, see Cardinal sin (disambiguation). ... Patience, engraving by Sebald Beham,1540 Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Patience Patience is the ability to endure waiting, delay, or provocation without becoming annoyed or upset, or to persevere calmly when faced with difficulties. ... A peace dove, widely known as a symbol for peace, featuring an olive branch in the doves beak. ... For other uses, see Cardinal sin (disambiguation). ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Pierre Montallier: The Works of Mercy, c. ... Look up kindness in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... For other uses, see Cardinal sin (disambiguation). ... Allegorical personification of Charity as a mother with three infants by Anthony van Dyck // The word charity entered the English language through the O.Fr word charite which was derived from the Latin caritas.[1] In Christian theology charity, or love (agapē), is the greatest of the three theological virtues... It has been suggested that Idiot compassion be merged into this article or section. ... Friendship is a term used to denote co-operative and supportive behaviour between two or more humans. ... ... For with(out) prejudice in law, see Prejudice (law). ... Humility is a quality or characteristic ascribed to a person who is considered to be humble. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... For other uses, see Cardinal sin (disambiguation). ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Altruism. ... This article is about the attitude of acknowledgement. ...

Theology

Restraint is the keystone of the seven holy virtues. The other holy virtues are created through selfless pursuits:

• Valour — Pursuit of Courage and Knowledge
• Generosity — Pursuit of Giving
• Diligence — Pursuit of Ethics
• Patience — Pursuit of Peace
• Kindness — Pursuit of Charity
• Humility — Pursuit of Modesty

Roman Catholic Virtues

The Roman Catholic church recognized the seven capital virtues as opposites to the Seven Capital Sins or the Seven Deadly Sins. According to Dante's The Divine Comedy the sins have an order of greatness, and the virtues a respective order of greatness as well. This order is shown below from the lowest to the highest. The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... For other uses, see Cardinal sin (disambiguation). ... DANTE is also a digital audio network. ... The Divine Comedy (Italian: Commedia, later christened Divina by Giovanni Boccaccio), written by Dante Alighieri between 1308 and his death in 1321, is widely considered the central epic poem of Italian literature and one of the greatest literary works of the Middle Ages. ...

See also Lust (onomastics) for other uses Lust is any intense desire or craving for self gratification. ... Allegory of chastity by Hans Memling. ... Gluttony can also refer to a character named Gluttony - a homonculus from the anime series Full Metal Alchemist Gluttony is the over-indulgence and over-consumption of food, drink, or intoxicants to the point of waste. ... Temperance may refer to: Temperance (virtue) Temperance movement Temperance (Tarot card) Temperance (band) See also Astrud Gilberto, for the album Temperance This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Greed is excessive or uncontrolled desire for or pursuit of money, wealth, food, or other possessions, especially when this denies the same goods to others. ... Allegorical personification of Charity as a mother with three infants by Anthony van Dyck // The word charity entered the English language through the O.Fr word charite which was derived from the Latin caritas.[1] In Christian theology charity, or love (agapē), is the greatest of the three theological virtues... Families Megalonychidae Bradypodidae Sloths are medium-sized mammals that live in Central and South America belonging to the families Megalonychidae and Bradypodidae, part of the order Pilosa. ... The introduction to this article provides insufficient context for those unfamiliar with the subject matter. ... Look up Anger in Wiktionary, the free dictionary Anger is a term for the emotional aspect of aggression, as a basic aspect of the stress response in animals in which a perceived aggravating stimulus provokes a counterresponse which is likewise aggravating and threatening of violence. ... Forgiveness it is the mental, emotional and/or spiritual process of ceasing to feel resentment or anger against another person for a perceived offence, difference or mistake, or ceasing to demand punishment or restitution[[:Template:American Psychological Association. ... Look up Envy in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Look up kindness in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Pride refers to a strong sense of self-respect, a refusal to be humiliated as well as joy in the accomplishments of oneself or a person, group, or object that one identifies with. ... Humility is a quality or characteristic ascribed to a person who is considered to be humble. ...

Cardinal and Theological Virtues

Another list of the Seven Virtues consists of a combination of the four Cardinal Virtues and the three Theological Virtues: The seven cardinal virtues, also called the seven heavenly virtues, are a grouping of the four cardinal virtues of prudence, temperance, fortitude, and justice, and the three theological virtues of faith, hope, and charity. ... Virtue (Greek αρετη; Latin virtus) is the habitual, well-established, readiness or diposition of mans powers directing them to some goodness of act. ... The three Theological Virtues listed in the Bible are: faith hope charity They are mentioned in 1 Corinthians 13:13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity (from the King James version) The New King James version and New International version translate...

• Prudence, Justice (this is an eighth virtue), Temperance, and Fortitude
• Faith, Hope, and Love (charity)

This formulation shows clearly the combination of Greek virtues (the Cardinal Virtues, found in Plato, for example) with Christian virtues (found in 1 Corinthians 13). These virtues do not line up so nicely as opposites to the Seven Deadly Sins, but are commonly referenced as the Seven Virtues. For other uses, see Plato (disambiguation). ... Christianity is a monotheistic[1] religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as presented in the New Testament. ... (Redirected from 1 Corinthians) See also: Second Epistle to the Corinthians and Third Epistle to the Corinthians The First Epistle to the Corinthians is a book of the Bible in the New Testament. ...

This allowed non-Christians to base their behaviour on moral tenets other than those prescribed by Christians. In medieval ideology, only a Christian would have faith in God, look forward to a life after death and caritas, be able to carry out acts of charity towards fellow men based solely on love of God. ^[1]

References

• Contrary, Heavenly, and Cardinal Virtues. 7 Deadly Sins. Retrieved on 2005-11-22.
• ^  The Seven Deadly Sins: A Convenient Guide to Eternal Damnation (as a PDF)

2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... November 22 is the 326th day (327th on leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Portable Document Format (PDF) is a file format developed by Adobe Systems for representing documents in a manner that is independent of the original application software, hardware, and operating system used to create those documents. ...

See also

• Seven heavenly virtues
• Eight Virtues

The seven cardinal virtues, also called the seven heavenly virtues, are a grouping of the four cardinal virtues of prudence, temperance, fortitude, and justice, and the three theological virtues of faith, hope, and charity. ... This article should appear in one or more categories. ...

External links

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The Seven Virtues

Cube of Space: Seven Doubles: Planetary Contrary Qualities as Virtures and Vices Image File history File links Commons-logo. ... The Wikimedia Commons (also called Wikicommons) is a repository of free content images, sound and other multimedia files. ...