The Threefold Man
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
According to Diogenes Laertius, the body was composed of (1) a mortal part; (2) a divine and ethereal partr called the phren; and (3) an aerial and vapor- ous part, called the thumos.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “The Threefold Man” mean?
According to Diogenes Laertius, the body was composed of (1) a mortal part; (2) a divine and ethereal partr called the phren; and (3) an aerial and vapor- ous part, called the thumos.
Is “The Threefold Man” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.