Cicero wrote that "a man's chief quality is courage." Virility (from Latin :la:vir, man) is a near-synonym for masculinity. The usual complement of masculinity is femininity.

Ancient

• Rule 3: "If any one bring an accusation of any crime before the elders, and does not prove what he has charged, he shall, if it be a capital offense charged, be put to death."
• Rule 128: "If a man take a woman to wife, but have no intercourse with her, this woman is no wife to him."

Scholars suggest integrity and equality as masculine values in male-male relationships, and virility in male-female relationships. Legends of ancient heroes include: The Epic of Gilgamesh, the Iliad and the Odyssey. Such narratives are considered to reveal qualities in the hero that inspired respect, like wisdom or courage, the knowing of things that other men do not know and the taking of risks that other men would not dare.

Medieval

Jeffrey Richards describes a European, "medieval masculinity which was essentially Christian and chivalric." Again ethics, courage and generosity are seen as characteristic of the portrayal of men in literary history. In Anglo Saxon, Beowulf and, in several languages, the legends of King Arthur are famous examples of medieval ideals of masculinity. The documented ideals include many examples of an "exaulted" place for women, in romance and courtly love.

Characteristics according to Janet Saltzman Chafetz

Janet Saltzman Chafetz (1974, 35-36) describes seven areas of masculinity.

1. Physical — virile, athletic, strong, brave.
2. Functional — breadwinner, provider for family
3. Sexual — sexually aggressive, experienced. Single status acceptable;
4. Emotional — unemotional, stoic, for example, the proverb "boys don't cry";
5. Intellectual — logical, intellectual, rational, objective, practical,
6. Interpersonal — leader, dominating; disciplinarian; independent, free, individualistic; demanding;
7. Other Personal Characteristics — success-oriented, ambitious, aggressive, proud, egotistical; moral, trustworthy; decisive, competitive, uninhibited, adventurous.

Culture

Masculinity has its roots in genetics (see gender). Therefore while masculinity looks different in different cultures, there are common aspects to its definition across cultures. Sometimes gender scholars will use the phrase "hegemonic masculinity" to distinguish the most dominant form of masculinity from other variants. In the mid-twentieth century United States, for example, John Wayne might embody one form of masculinity, while Albert Einstein might be seen as masculine, but not in the same "hegemonic" fashion.