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Preserved but no longer current.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.
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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.
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