The word "complexion" is derived from the
Late Latin complexi, which initially referred in general terms to a combination of things, and later in physiological terms, to the balance of
humors. The four humours were four
fluids that were thought to permeate the body and influence its health. The concept was developed by ancient Greek thinkers around 400 BC and developed further by
Galen. People were thought to be either of the
four temperaments: choleric, melancholic, phlegmatic, or sanguine. During the
Middle Ages in
Europe, the
Latin term
complexio served as the translated form of the
Greek word
crasis, meaning
temperament. As Matthew Simon writes, "Since it served as a fundamental concept, not only in physiology but also in
pathology and
therapy, complexion theory provided important support for the idea that medicine constituted a unified and rational body of knowledge." The body was healthy when all was in balance, but diagnosis was difficult, as there was no absolute measure of the right complexion, since this varied for individuals. Complexion was thought to be an indicator of one's character. The
Spanish work known as
Corbacho, written by
Alfonso Martínez de Toledo (c. 1398—c. 1470), includes a chapter called "De las complexiones." In it he describes the personalities of men of varying complexions: "There are others who are melancholic: these men correspond to the Earth, which is the fourth element, which is cold and dry. These men are very angry, without a sense of tact or moderation... They have no sense of temperance in anything they do, and only bang their head against the wall. They're very iniquitous, petulant, miserable..." Complexion, in its original sense, engaged the attention of philosophers and musical theorists from ancient times right through to the Renaissance and beyond, in relation to the most favourable balancing of the 'qualities' or elements in order to heal and invigorate the soul: from Pythagoras and the musical theorist Aristoxenus, through Plato's dialogue
Phaedo, Aristotle, Saint Augustine in his thesis on music, and Aquinas; and in the Florentine Renaissance, Marsilio Ficino in his work on the immortality of the soul, the
Theologia Platonica. Thus there are many references which filter through into Shakespeare's plays and sonnets derived from this body of thought; particularly in the description of important characters, and to the power of music above all to 'charm the savage breast', adjust the elements, and restore the equilibrium and balance, the 'harmony' of the soul: his characters call for music and are spellbound or restored by it, and in elevated mood, may hear it in the air, or sense its immortal harmonies everywhere. Many surnames arose out of the existence of a complexion whose particularities may have differed from that of the village or town's population, and thus attracted enough notice to warrant a nickname. The
Irish surname
Rogan (from
Ruadhán) referred to a person with
red hair, or a ruddy complexion. The
Scottish surname
Bain (from
bàn) referred to a
fair-haired person, while
Dunn (from
donn) implies brown/
dark hair, and
Duff (from
dubh) implies black hair. The
English surname
Brown, an extremely common surname in the English-speaking world, was originally applied to anyone with a slightly darker complexion, in the same manner that the surname White was applied to anyone with a particularly light complexion. The surname
Gough is derived from the
Welsh goch or
coch, meaning "red" or "ruddy." King
William II of England was called William Rufus ("the Red") because of his ruddy complexion.
Ludovico il Moro ("the Moor") was called as such because of his swarthy complexion. {{poemquote|text= Puntarvolo: What complexion, or what stature bears he? Gentleman: Of your stature, and very near upon your complexion. Puntarvolo: Mine is melancholy. Carlo Buffone: So is the dog's, just. ==Complexion and biology==