Brad Inwood (ed.)
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- January 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780199666164
- eISBN:
- 9780191751936
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199666164.001.0001
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Ancient Philosophy
Oxford Studies in Ancient Philosophy provides, twice each year, a collection of the best current work in the field of ancient philosophy. Each volume features original essays that ...
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Oxford Studies in Ancient Philosophy provides, twice each year, a collection of the best current work in the field of ancient philosophy. Each volume features original essays that contribute to an understanding of a wide range of themes and problems in all periods of ancient Greek and Roman philosophy, from the beginnings to the threshold of the middle ages. From its first volume in 1983, OSAP has been a highly influential venue for work in the field, and has often featured essays of substantial length as well as critical essays on books of distinctive importance. Volume 43 includes two articles on Plato, five on Aristotle, two on important aspects of Stoicism and one on Plutarch and scepticism.Less
Oxford Studies in Ancient Philosophy provides, twice each year, a collection of the best current work in the field of ancient philosophy. Each volume features original essays that contribute to an understanding of a wide range of themes and problems in all periods of ancient Greek and Roman philosophy, from the beginnings to the threshold of the middle ages. From its first volume in 1983, OSAP has been a highly influential venue for work in the field, and has often featured essays of substantial length as well as critical essays on books of distinctive importance. Volume 43 includes two articles on Plato, five on Aristotle, two on important aspects of Stoicism and one on Plutarch and scepticism.
Eleni Kechagia
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- January 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199597239
- eISBN:
- 9780191731495
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199597239.001.0001
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Ancient Greek, Roman, and Early Christian Philosophy
Plutarch's philosophical work remained largely in the shadow of his celebrated Lives, partly because it was often dubbed ‘popular philosophy’, and partly because it was thought to be lacking in ...
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Plutarch's philosophical work remained largely in the shadow of his celebrated Lives, partly because it was often dubbed ‘popular philosophy’, and partly because it was thought to be lacking in originality. This book contributes to the ‘rehabilitation’ of Plutarch as a serious philosopher by discussing his work as a teacher, interpreter, and, eventually, historian of philosophy. It offers a critical analysis of Plutarch's anti-Epicurean treatise Against Colotes — a unique text that is rich in philosophical material and has been widely used as a source for ancient Greek philosophy but has not been studied in its own right so far. Combining a historical approach with structural analysis and close reading of selected sections of the text, the book demonstrates that Plutarch engaged with the philosophy of his past in a creative way. By refuting Colotes' Epicurean arguments against the main Greek philosophers up to the Hellenistic era, Plutarch gives an insightful critical assessment of the philosophy of his past and teaches his readers how to go about doing and reading philosophy. The book concludes that Plutarch emerges as a respected critic whose ‘reviews’ of the past philosophical theories are an essential companion when trying to piece together the puzzle of ancient Greek philosophy.Less
Plutarch's philosophical work remained largely in the shadow of his celebrated Lives, partly because it was often dubbed ‘popular philosophy’, and partly because it was thought to be lacking in originality. This book contributes to the ‘rehabilitation’ of Plutarch as a serious philosopher by discussing his work as a teacher, interpreter, and, eventually, historian of philosophy. It offers a critical analysis of Plutarch's anti-Epicurean treatise Against Colotes — a unique text that is rich in philosophical material and has been widely used as a source for ancient Greek philosophy but has not been studied in its own right so far. Combining a historical approach with structural analysis and close reading of selected sections of the text, the book demonstrates that Plutarch engaged with the philosophy of his past in a creative way. By refuting Colotes' Epicurean arguments against the main Greek philosophers up to the Hellenistic era, Plutarch gives an insightful critical assessment of the philosophy of his past and teaches his readers how to go about doing and reading philosophy. The book concludes that Plutarch emerges as a respected critic whose ‘reviews’ of the past philosophical theories are an essential companion when trying to piece together the puzzle of ancient Greek philosophy.
George E. Karamanolis
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- September 2006
- ISBN:
- 9780199264568
- eISBN:
- 9780191603990
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199264562.003.0003
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Ancient Philosophy
This chapter begins with a discussion of Plutarch’s Platonism and knowledge of Aristotle’s work. It then presents Plutarch’s most substantial discussion of how Aristotle’s philosophy compares with ...
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This chapter begins with a discussion of Plutarch’s Platonism and knowledge of Aristotle’s work. It then presents Plutarch’s most substantial discussion of how Aristotle’s philosophy compares with that of Plato. Plutarch held that Aristotle often preserves Plato’s doctrine in a more systematic form on a number of crucial issues in ethics, psychology, metaphysics, and epistemology. A different kind of systematization is provided by the case of Aristotle’s categories; this theory may be a new construction, but in Plutarch’s view, it is a development of originally Platonic elements. To the extent that Plutarch regards Aristotle as a source of Plato’s doctrine, he feels free to draw on Aristotle’s work. Thus, it is a mistake to hold that he simply used Aristotle as an ally in his polemic, compromising his Platonism. Because Plutarch is committed to Plato’s philosophy, he shows great awareness of Aristotle’s divergences from Plato’s doctrines and does not hesitate to criticize him.Less
This chapter begins with a discussion of Plutarch’s Platonism and knowledge of Aristotle’s work. It then presents Plutarch’s most substantial discussion of how Aristotle’s philosophy compares with that of Plato. Plutarch held that Aristotle often preserves Plato’s doctrine in a more systematic form on a number of crucial issues in ethics, psychology, metaphysics, and epistemology. A different kind of systematization is provided by the case of Aristotle’s categories; this theory may be a new construction, but in Plutarch’s view, it is a development of originally Platonic elements. To the extent that Plutarch regards Aristotle as a source of Plato’s doctrine, he feels free to draw on Aristotle’s work. Thus, it is a mistake to hold that he simply used Aristotle as an ally in his polemic, compromising his Platonism. Because Plutarch is committed to Plato’s philosophy, he shows great awareness of Aristotle’s divergences from Plato’s doctrines and does not hesitate to criticize him.
Luciano Canfora and Julian Stringer (eds)
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780748619368
- eISBN:
- 9780748670734
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Edinburgh University Press
- DOI:
- 10.3366/edinburgh/9780748619368.003.0035
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Archaeology: Classical
Plutarch presents the reconciliation of Brutus and Cassius in his Life of Brutus. Cassius is driven to make peace by one politically decisive consideration: everyone he approaches with the proposal ...
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Plutarch presents the reconciliation of Brutus and Cassius in his Life of Brutus. Cassius is driven to make peace by one politically decisive consideration: everyone he approaches with the proposal of a violent attempt to eliminate Caesar replies that he would be party to it only if Brutus were to take the lead. Should Brutus refuse, then any such enterprise must be considered a failure, precisely because Brutus had rejected it. This is why Cassius decided to restore the contact with Brutus that had been broken off when he found himself competing with him for the praetorship.Less
Plutarch presents the reconciliation of Brutus and Cassius in his Life of Brutus. Cassius is driven to make peace by one politically decisive consideration: everyone he approaches with the proposal of a violent attempt to eliminate Caesar replies that he would be party to it only if Brutus were to take the lead. Should Brutus refuse, then any such enterprise must be considered a failure, precisely because Brutus had rejected it. This is why Cassius decided to restore the contact with Brutus that had been broken off when he found himself competing with him for the praetorship.
Luciano Canfora and Julian Stringer (eds)
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780748619368
- eISBN:
- 9780748670734
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Edinburgh University Press
- DOI:
- 10.3366/edinburgh/9780748619368.003.0036
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Archaeology: Classical
Having related the reconciliation of Brutus and Cassius, Plutarch informs us that both began to get in touch with their friends. But he really only relates the steps taken by Brutus. According to ...
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Having related the reconciliation of Brutus and Cassius, Plutarch informs us that both began to get in touch with their friends. But he really only relates the steps taken by Brutus. According to Plutarch, Brutus received only two notes: both from persons who had had very close ties to Cato and would later die at Philippi in the republican ranks — Statilius and Favonius. Favonius, the fanatical Catonian, said that ‘civil war is worse than illegal monarchy’. Statilius was scornful, and said that ‘it did not become a wise and sensible man to be thrown into turmoil and peril for the sake of feeble and foolish folk’.Less
Having related the reconciliation of Brutus and Cassius, Plutarch informs us that both began to get in touch with their friends. But he really only relates the steps taken by Brutus. According to Plutarch, Brutus received only two notes: both from persons who had had very close ties to Cato and would later die at Philippi in the republican ranks — Statilius and Favonius. Favonius, the fanatical Catonian, said that ‘civil war is worse than illegal monarchy’. Statilius was scornful, and said that ‘it did not become a wise and sensible man to be thrown into turmoil and peril for the sake of feeble and foolish folk’.
Emily Baragwanath
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- September 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780199231294
- eISBN:
- 9780191710797
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199231294.001.0001
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Prose and Writers: Classical, Early, and Medieval
Herodotus sought to communicate not only what happened, but also the background of thoughts and perceptions that shaped those events and was also critical to their interpretation in retrospect. This ...
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Herodotus sought to communicate not only what happened, but also the background of thoughts and perceptions that shaped those events and was also critical to their interpretation in retrospect. This book examines the representation of human motivation in Herodotus' Histories, building on recent work that views the historian against the background of the sophists and exploring the implications of this for the Histories' narrative books. Working from the theoretical basis of reader response criticism, it uses Plutarch's insights to plot Herodotus' narrative strategies for guiding his readers' response to questions of motives. Its focus is the sophisticated narrative techniques with which Herodotus represents this elusive variety of historical knowledge; but through illustrating and analyzing a range of such techniques across a wide selection of narratives, it supplies a method for reading the Histories more generally. Herodotus is revealed as a master of both narrative and historiography, able tell a lucid story of the past while nonetheless exposing the methodological and epistemological challenges it presented. Subjects discussed include the influence of Homer as a narrative model; the account of Leonidas and Thermopylae—where the subtle interweaving of heroic and more pragmatic motivations contribute to the historian's self-characterization; the Samian and Persian stories, with their depiction of irrational motivation; the Athenian stories, which reveal Herodotus' polarizing technique of presentation; the complications of rhetoric, with its slogans of ‘freedom’ and ‘Greek unity’, in the Ionian Revolt narrative—which proves a touchstone for assessing the later campaign; motives and necessity in the Greek states' response to the Persian threat; and the characterization of the Histories' most prominent individuals, Xerxes and Themistocles.Less
Herodotus sought to communicate not only what happened, but also the background of thoughts and perceptions that shaped those events and was also critical to their interpretation in retrospect. This book examines the representation of human motivation in Herodotus' Histories, building on recent work that views the historian against the background of the sophists and exploring the implications of this for the Histories' narrative books. Working from the theoretical basis of reader response criticism, it uses Plutarch's insights to plot Herodotus' narrative strategies for guiding his readers' response to questions of motives. Its focus is the sophisticated narrative techniques with which Herodotus represents this elusive variety of historical knowledge; but through illustrating and analyzing a range of such techniques across a wide selection of narratives, it supplies a method for reading the Histories more generally. Herodotus is revealed as a master of both narrative and historiography, able tell a lucid story of the past while nonetheless exposing the methodological and epistemological challenges it presented. Subjects discussed include the influence of Homer as a narrative model; the account of Leonidas and Thermopylae—where the subtle interweaving of heroic and more pragmatic motivations contribute to the historian's self-characterization; the Samian and Persian stories, with their depiction of irrational motivation; the Athenian stories, which reveal Herodotus' polarizing technique of presentation; the complications of rhetoric, with its slogans of ‘freedom’ and ‘Greek unity’, in the Ionian Revolt narrative—which proves a touchstone for assessing the later campaign; motives and necessity in the Greek states' response to the Persian threat; and the characterization of the Histories' most prominent individuals, Xerxes and Themistocles.
Antoon De Baets
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- January 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780197264812
- eISBN:
- 9780191754029
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- British Academy
- DOI:
- 10.5871/bacad/9780197264812.003.0014
- Subject:
- Sociology, Migration Studies (including Refugee Studies)
Can exile be seen as a blessing in disguise? The Greek moral essayist Plutarch, and others after him, argued that it can. This thesis that exile is a blessing in disguise is referred to as Plutarch's ...
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Can exile be seen as a blessing in disguise? The Greek moral essayist Plutarch, and others after him, argued that it can. This thesis that exile is a blessing in disguise is referred to as Plutarch's thesis, and this chapter attempts to test it. It analyzes 764 refugee historians — drawn from 63 countries on all continents — who made their contribution to historical writing after 1945. The overarching question is whether the loss for the country of origin featured as a corresponding benefit for the country of destination. For the countries of origin the three stages of exile — departure, sojourn abroad, and return — had repercussions. The brain drain was a devastating blow to history-writing, as ‘critical historical writing’ was replaced, for the most part, ‘by servile propaganda on behalf of repressive regimes’. During their sojourn abroad, many refugee historians edited ‘influential editions of sources’, while on their return, their influence was initially limited. Through their continued scholarly networks and contact with scholars and ideas from abroad, however, they enriched both their own scholarship and often the discipline itself. And although it was often delayed, in due course the works of those refugees who remained abroad became known or were rediscovered in their countries of origin.Less
Can exile be seen as a blessing in disguise? The Greek moral essayist Plutarch, and others after him, argued that it can. This thesis that exile is a blessing in disguise is referred to as Plutarch's thesis, and this chapter attempts to test it. It analyzes 764 refugee historians — drawn from 63 countries on all continents — who made their contribution to historical writing after 1945. The overarching question is whether the loss for the country of origin featured as a corresponding benefit for the country of destination. For the countries of origin the three stages of exile — departure, sojourn abroad, and return — had repercussions. The brain drain was a devastating blow to history-writing, as ‘critical historical writing’ was replaced, for the most part, ‘by servile propaganda on behalf of repressive regimes’. During their sojourn abroad, many refugee historians edited ‘influential editions of sources’, while on their return, their influence was initially limited. Through their continued scholarly networks and contact with scholars and ideas from abroad, however, they enriched both their own scholarship and often the discipline itself. And although it was often delayed, in due course the works of those refugees who remained abroad became known or were rediscovered in their countries of origin.
Lieve Van Hoof
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- September 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199583263
- eISBN:
- 9780191723131
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199583263.001.0001
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Ancient Greek, Roman, and Early Christian Philosophy
The Second Sophistic was a time of intense competition for honour and status. Like today, this often caused mental as well as physical stress for the elite of the Roman Empire. This book studies ...
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The Second Sophistic was a time of intense competition for honour and status. Like today, this often caused mental as well as physical stress for the elite of the Roman Empire. This book studies Plutarch's practical ethics, a group of twenty-odd texts within the Moralia designed to help powerful Greeks and Romans manage their ambitions and society's expectations successfully. According to Plutarch (c. AD 45–120), the key for a happy life lies with philosophy, yet instead of advancing philosophical values as an alternative for worldly ambitions, as did other philosophers, he presents philosophy as a way towards distinction and success in imperial society. By thus subtly redefining what elite culture should be like, Plutarch also firmly establishes himself as an intellectual and cultural authority. This book combines a systematic analysis of the general principles underlying Plutarch's practical ethics, including the author's target readership, therapeutical practices, and self-presentation, with innovative interpretations of five case studies (On Feeling Good, On Exile, On Talkativeress, On Cuiusity, Precepts of Health Care). A picture emerges of philosophy under the Roman Empire not as a set of abstract, theoretical doctrines, but as a kind of symbolic capital engendering power and prestige for author and reader alike. Transcending the boundaries between literature, social history, and philosophy, Van Hoof makes a strong case for the pertinence and vitality of this often neglected group of texts, and incisively shows Plutarch to be not just a philanthropic adviser, but also a sophisticated author strategically manipulating his own cultural capital in pursuit of influence and glory.Less
The Second Sophistic was a time of intense competition for honour and status. Like today, this often caused mental as well as physical stress for the elite of the Roman Empire. This book studies Plutarch's practical ethics, a group of twenty-odd texts within the Moralia designed to help powerful Greeks and Romans manage their ambitions and society's expectations successfully. According to Plutarch (c. AD 45–120), the key for a happy life lies with philosophy, yet instead of advancing philosophical values as an alternative for worldly ambitions, as did other philosophers, he presents philosophy as a way towards distinction and success in imperial society. By thus subtly redefining what elite culture should be like, Plutarch also firmly establishes himself as an intellectual and cultural authority. This book combines a systematic analysis of the general principles underlying Plutarch's practical ethics, including the author's target readership, therapeutical practices, and self-presentation, with innovative interpretations of five case studies (On Feeling Good, On Exile, On Talkativeress, On Cuiusity, Precepts of Health Care). A picture emerges of philosophy under the Roman Empire not as a set of abstract, theoretical doctrines, but as a kind of symbolic capital engendering power and prestige for author and reader alike. Transcending the boundaries between literature, social history, and philosophy, Van Hoof makes a strong case for the pertinence and vitality of this often neglected group of texts, and incisively shows Plutarch to be not just a philanthropic adviser, but also a sophisticated author strategically manipulating his own cultural capital in pursuit of influence and glory.
Yoel H. Kahn
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- January 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780195373295
- eISBN:
- 9780199893294
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195373295.003.0002
- Subject:
- Religion, Judaism
According to the Talmud, tractate Menahot 43b, Rabbi Meir taught that a Jewish man should thank God daily for “not making me a gentile, a woman or a slave.” These Jewish blessings have parallels in a ...
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According to the Talmud, tractate Menahot 43b, Rabbi Meir taught that a Jewish man should thank God daily for “not making me a gentile, a woman or a slave.” These Jewish blessings have parallels in a variety of classical Hellenistic sources and are attributed to Socrates and Plutarch, as well as other notable figures. The origins of the Jewish liturgical blessings probably began as a boundary-marking aphorism whose content was easily changed as it was adapted by Jewish, Zoroastrian and Hellenistic communities. The earliest Greek and Hebrew texts are parallel to each other; the oppositions they inscribe, internally and with each other, are dissolved by and explain the force of NT Galatians 3:26.Less
According to the Talmud, tractate Menahot 43b, Rabbi Meir taught that a Jewish man should thank God daily for “not making me a gentile, a woman or a slave.” These Jewish blessings have parallels in a variety of classical Hellenistic sources and are attributed to Socrates and Plutarch, as well as other notable figures. The origins of the Jewish liturgical blessings probably began as a boundary-marking aphorism whose content was easily changed as it was adapted by Jewish, Zoroastrian and Hellenistic communities. The earliest Greek and Hebrew texts are parallel to each other; the oppositions they inscribe, internally and with each other, are dissolved by and explain the force of NT Galatians 3:26.
Emily Baragwanath
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- September 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780199231294
- eISBN:
- 9780191710797
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199231294.003.0001
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Prose and Writers: Classical, Early, and Medieval
Taking Plutarch's criticisms in de Malignitate Herodoti as a point of entry into Herodotus' strategies for guiding his readers' response, this chapter argues that Herodotus' reader is motivated to ...
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Taking Plutarch's criticisms in de Malignitate Herodoti as a point of entry into Herodotus' strategies for guiding his readers' response, this chapter argues that Herodotus' reader is motivated to take a particular, active stance towards his text. Herodotus is set in the context of the sophists. The theoretical background of Iser's reader response criticism is introduced, with Herodotus' presentation of the question of the Alcmaeonids' possible medizing after Marathon serving as a test case for a reader-response approach.Less
Taking Plutarch's criticisms in de Malignitate Herodoti as a point of entry into Herodotus' strategies for guiding his readers' response, this chapter argues that Herodotus' reader is motivated to take a particular, active stance towards his text. Herodotus is set in the context of the sophists. The theoretical background of Iser's reader response criticism is introduced, with Herodotus' presentation of the question of the Alcmaeonids' possible medizing after Marathon serving as a test case for a reader-response approach.
Emily Baragwanath
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- September 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780199231294
- eISBN:
- 9780191710797
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199231294.003.0003
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Prose and Writers: Classical, Early, and Medieval
This chapter addresses Herodotus' portrayal of characters in the Histories whose inquiries into questions of motivation parallel his own. In discussing the dual persona of the Herodotean narrator, it ...
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This chapter addresses Herodotus' portrayal of characters in the Histories whose inquiries into questions of motivation parallel his own. In discussing the dual persona of the Herodotean narrator, it reformulates Plutarch's charge that Herodotus slid too easily between the categories of ‘historian’ and ‘sophist’. It contends that Leonidas in the Thermopylae narrative (with its interweaving of heroic and more pragmatic motivations) is constructed in the Herodotean narrator's likeness, imitating the methods and purposes of the narrator in his approach to questions of motives, and displaying a polarized personality. The metatextual perspective furthers one's characterization of Herodotus at the same time as it reinforces the importance of questions of motivation.Less
This chapter addresses Herodotus' portrayal of characters in the Histories whose inquiries into questions of motivation parallel his own. In discussing the dual persona of the Herodotean narrator, it reformulates Plutarch's charge that Herodotus slid too easily between the categories of ‘historian’ and ‘sophist’. It contends that Leonidas in the Thermopylae narrative (with its interweaving of heroic and more pragmatic motivations) is constructed in the Herodotean narrator's likeness, imitating the methods and purposes of the narrator in his approach to questions of motives, and displaying a polarized personality. The metatextual perspective furthers one's characterization of Herodotus at the same time as it reinforces the importance of questions of motivation.
Emily Baragwanath
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- September 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780199231294
- eISBN:
- 9780191710797
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199231294.003.0005
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Prose and Writers: Classical, Early, and Medieval
Moving from Plutarch's accusation that Herodotus is too fond of polarizing questions of motivation into better and worse, and emphasizing the latter, this chapter considers cases of alternative ...
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Moving from Plutarch's accusation that Herodotus is too fond of polarizing questions of motivation into better and worse, and emphasizing the latter, this chapter considers cases of alternative accounts in the Histories where the alternative possibilities relate to questions of motivation. It reviews those where the double explanations do not represent true alternatives; where they are genuine but no ethical judgment attaches to a particular choice; and where the alternatives are indeed morally weighted (e.g. principled versus pragmatic)—as in the case-studies of the Athenians' expulsion of the Pelasgians and failure to expel the Peisistratids. Reader response is not simply a matter, then, of making an autonomous choice between alternatives, but of observing a complex skein of possible motivations and their possible resolutions. Herodotus' presentation implies that polarized views of motivation do not reflect complex realities.Less
Moving from Plutarch's accusation that Herodotus is too fond of polarizing questions of motivation into better and worse, and emphasizing the latter, this chapter considers cases of alternative accounts in the Histories where the alternative possibilities relate to questions of motivation. It reviews those where the double explanations do not represent true alternatives; where they are genuine but no ethical judgment attaches to a particular choice; and where the alternatives are indeed morally weighted (e.g. principled versus pragmatic)—as in the case-studies of the Athenians' expulsion of the Pelasgians and failure to expel the Peisistratids. Reader response is not simply a matter, then, of making an autonomous choice between alternatives, but of observing a complex skein of possible motivations and their possible resolutions. Herodotus' presentation implies that polarized views of motivation do not reflect complex realities.
Max Saunders
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- May 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199579761
- eISBN:
- 9780191722882
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199579761.003.0011
- Subject:
- Literature, 19th-century Literature and Romanticism, 20th-century Literature and Modernism
This chapter asks whether the kind of reading offered in the previous chapter disarms the possibility of modernist satire, deflecting our attention from criticism to autobiography. It discusses two ...
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This chapter asks whether the kind of reading offered in the previous chapter disarms the possibility of modernist satire, deflecting our attention from criticism to autobiography. It discusses two less equivocally satirical modernists by way of counter‐arguments to this objection. Wyndham Lewis's Time and Western Man contains some of the most forceful modernist attacks on the auto/biographic; yet Lewis offers the book as itself a kind of intellectual self‐portrait. Conversely, Richard Aldington's Soft Answers is read as a portrait‐collection, adopting modernist parodies of auto/biography in order to satirize modernists such as Eliot and Pound. It argues that (as in the case of Pound, and according to the argument introduced in the Preface) not only can satire be auto/biography, but auto/biography can also be satire. Indeed, Pound was shown in Chapter 9 to be writing both in verse; and in the Chapter 11 Woolf is shown to do both in prose. The chapter concludes with a discussion of how the First World War transformed the crisis in life ‐ writing.Less
This chapter asks whether the kind of reading offered in the previous chapter disarms the possibility of modernist satire, deflecting our attention from criticism to autobiography. It discusses two less equivocally satirical modernists by way of counter‐arguments to this objection. Wyndham Lewis's Time and Western Man contains some of the most forceful modernist attacks on the auto/biographic; yet Lewis offers the book as itself a kind of intellectual self‐portrait. Conversely, Richard Aldington's Soft Answers is read as a portrait‐collection, adopting modernist parodies of auto/biography in order to satirize modernists such as Eliot and Pound. It argues that (as in the case of Pound, and according to the argument introduced in the Preface) not only can satire be auto/biography, but auto/biography can also be satire. Indeed, Pound was shown in Chapter 9 to be writing both in verse; and in the Chapter 11 Woolf is shown to do both in prose. The chapter concludes with a discussion of how the First World War transformed the crisis in life ‐ writing.
Christopher Gill
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780198152682
- eISBN:
- 9780191710131
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198152682.003.0004
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Ancient Greek, Roman, and Early Christian Philosophy
Stoics and Epicureans, while holding that all human beings are constitutively capable of achieving a fully coherent state of character, also maintain that failure to realize this capacity results in ...
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Stoics and Epicureans, while holding that all human beings are constitutively capable of achieving a fully coherent state of character, also maintain that failure to realize this capacity results in a radically un-structured and incoherent state of personality. This chapter examines the Stoic theory of the passions (which are seen as expressing this un-structured state) and explores the relationship between this theory and their view that human beings function as psychological wholes. It shows how an intense debate emerged in Hellenistic-Roman thought between Stoic (holistic) and Platonic-Aristotelian (part-based) ways of conceiving emotions. It shows how this controversy underlies the critical presentation of the Stoic theory by Plutarch and Galen, and how it leads Galen to give a misleading account of the ideas about passions held by the Stoic thinkers Chrysippus and Posidonius.Less
Stoics and Epicureans, while holding that all human beings are constitutively capable of achieving a fully coherent state of character, also maintain that failure to realize this capacity results in a radically un-structured and incoherent state of personality. This chapter examines the Stoic theory of the passions (which are seen as expressing this un-structured state) and explores the relationship between this theory and their view that human beings function as psychological wholes. It shows how an intense debate emerged in Hellenistic-Roman thought between Stoic (holistic) and Platonic-Aristotelian (part-based) ways of conceiving emotions. It shows how this controversy underlies the critical presentation of the Stoic theory by Plutarch and Galen, and how it leads Galen to give a misleading account of the ideas about passions held by the Stoic thinkers Chrysippus and Posidonius.
Christopher Gill
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780198152682
- eISBN:
- 9780191710131
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198152682.003.0007
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Ancient Greek, Roman, and Early Christian Philosophy
This chapter explores the potential relevance to the interpretation of later Greek and Roman literature of the competing Hellenistic-Roman patterns of thought about the development of character (and ...
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This chapter explores the potential relevance to the interpretation of later Greek and Roman literature of the competing Hellenistic-Roman patterns of thought about the development of character (and about the consequences of failure to develop properly) discussed in Chapters 3 and 4. The presentation of collapse of ethical character in Plutarch’s Lives is taken as illustrating the Platonic-Aristotelian (part-based) pattern of thinking. The depiction of psychological conflict and disintegration in Seneca’s Medea and Phaedra is seen as illustrating the contrasting Stoic (holistic) pattern. Tracing philosophical influence on Virgil’s Aeneid is acknowledged to be more difficult and complex. In the presentation of inner conflict and passions in Dido and Aeneas, there are grounds for seeing the influence of both Platonic-Aristotelian and Stoic-Epicurean patterns. But the latter pattern is presented as ultimately more important for making sense of the distinctive features of Virgil’s portrayal.Less
This chapter explores the potential relevance to the interpretation of later Greek and Roman literature of the competing Hellenistic-Roman patterns of thought about the development of character (and about the consequences of failure to develop properly) discussed in Chapters 3 and 4. The presentation of collapse of ethical character in Plutarch’s Lives is taken as illustrating the Platonic-Aristotelian (part-based) pattern of thinking. The depiction of psychological conflict and disintegration in Seneca’s Medea and Phaedra is seen as illustrating the contrasting Stoic (holistic) pattern. Tracing philosophical influence on Virgil’s Aeneid is acknowledged to be more difficult and complex. In the presentation of inner conflict and passions in Dido and Aeneas, there are grounds for seeing the influence of both Platonic-Aristotelian and Stoic-Epicurean patterns. But the latter pattern is presented as ultimately more important for making sense of the distinctive features of Virgil’s portrayal.
Christopher Pelling
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- September 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780195389579
- eISBN:
- 9780199866496
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195389579.003.0006
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Literary Studies: Classical, Early, and Medieval
This chapter is a study of Greek analyses of Roman civil wars through a Thucydidean lens. For Dionysius of Halicarnassus, as for Plutarch and Appian, as Pelling shows, the Thucydidean template works ...
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This chapter is a study of Greek analyses of Roman civil wars through a Thucydidean lens. For Dionysius of Halicarnassus, as for Plutarch and Appian, as Pelling shows, the Thucydidean template works only indifferently in characterizing Roman civil wars. Greek authors trying to explain the Roman experience were perhaps best served by their master Thucydides in showing the differences between the Roman Republic and Greek city‐states.Less
This chapter is a study of Greek analyses of Roman civil wars through a Thucydidean lens. For Dionysius of Halicarnassus, as for Plutarch and Appian, as Pelling shows, the Thucydidean template works only indifferently in characterizing Roman civil wars. Greek authors trying to explain the Roman experience were perhaps best served by their master Thucydides in showing the differences between the Roman Republic and Greek city‐states.
Christopher P. Jones
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780199262120
- eISBN:
- 9780191718533
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199262120.003.0011
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, European History: BCE to 500CE
This chapter explores the ways in which Josephus’ rhetorical style of historical writing was influenced by other Greek writers in the Flavian period. It is somewhat difficult to locate such writers ...
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This chapter explores the ways in which Josephus’ rhetorical style of historical writing was influenced by other Greek writers in the Flavian period. It is somewhat difficult to locate such writers at Rome precisely during Josephus’ residence in the city. The chapter underlines the prologue to the Judaean War, where Josephus responds to previous histories of the war, some likely to have been in Greek, which he thought of poor quality. It argues that Josephus was particularly influenced by Dio Chrysostom, the orator from Prusa in Bithynia, and Plutarch, the philosopher and priest from Chaeronea in Boeotia. Dio’s Alexandrian oration, for example, may have been used by Josephus as a model for his narrative of the tension between Judeans and Greeks in that city in his Judaean Antiquities. As for Plutarch, the chapter maintains that Josephus was particularly influenced by his imperial biographies. However, Domitian’s eventual persecution of Judaean sympathizers likely forced Josephus into literary isolation.Less
This chapter explores the ways in which Josephus’ rhetorical style of historical writing was influenced by other Greek writers in the Flavian period. It is somewhat difficult to locate such writers at Rome precisely during Josephus’ residence in the city. The chapter underlines the prologue to the Judaean War, where Josephus responds to previous histories of the war, some likely to have been in Greek, which he thought of poor quality. It argues that Josephus was particularly influenced by Dio Chrysostom, the orator from Prusa in Bithynia, and Plutarch, the philosopher and priest from Chaeronea in Boeotia. Dio’s Alexandrian oration, for example, may have been used by Josephus as a model for his narrative of the tension between Judeans and Greeks in that city in his Judaean Antiquities. As for Plutarch, the chapter maintains that Josephus was particularly influenced by his imperial biographies. However, Domitian’s eventual persecution of Judaean sympathizers likely forced Josephus into literary isolation.
Louis H. Feldman
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780199262120
- eISBN:
- 9780191718533
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199262120.003.0012
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, European History: BCE to 500CE
This chapter explores the thematic and possible literary relationships between Josephus’ narrative on Moses and Plutarch’s biography of the Spartan Lycurgus, two legendary lawgivers. Parallels in the ...
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This chapter explores the thematic and possible literary relationships between Josephus’ narrative on Moses and Plutarch’s biography of the Spartan Lycurgus, two legendary lawgivers. Parallels in the portraits of these two leaders include not only the expected emphases on such Spartan virtues as courage, wisdom, and moderation, but also their conspicuous agreement that, for example, alien customs present a serious threat to the internal harmony of their own ethnic traditions. It is remarkable that Josephus nowhere mentions Plutarch by name, since references to Greco-Roman authors are not uncommon in his corpus. The chapter suggests that it was perhaps Plutarch’s hostile attitude towards the Flavian emperors that prevented his overt mention in Josephus’ writing. It is concluded that there is insufficient evidence to determine whether Josephus knew Plutarch’s work or both writers used a common source. Both writers, however, displayed a marked concern with issues of moral exemplarity.Less
This chapter explores the thematic and possible literary relationships between Josephus’ narrative on Moses and Plutarch’s biography of the Spartan Lycurgus, two legendary lawgivers. Parallels in the portraits of these two leaders include not only the expected emphases on such Spartan virtues as courage, wisdom, and moderation, but also their conspicuous agreement that, for example, alien customs present a serious threat to the internal harmony of their own ethnic traditions. It is remarkable that Josephus nowhere mentions Plutarch by name, since references to Greco-Roman authors are not uncommon in his corpus. The chapter suggests that it was perhaps Plutarch’s hostile attitude towards the Flavian emperors that prevented his overt mention in Josephus’ writing. It is concluded that there is insufficient evidence to determine whether Josephus knew Plutarch’s work or both writers used a common source. Both writers, however, displayed a marked concern with issues of moral exemplarity.
Pierre Brulé and Antonia Nevill
- Published in print:
- 2003
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780748616435
- eISBN:
- 9780748651023
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Edinburgh University Press
- DOI:
- 10.3366/edinburgh/9780748616435.003.0008
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, European History: BCE to 500CE
This book has described every aspect of women's lives in ancient Greece, including their sexuality and marriage. History is not born like Athena, springing from her father's head already complete ...
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This book has described every aspect of women's lives in ancient Greece, including their sexuality and marriage. History is not born like Athena, springing from her father's head already complete fully armed and for always. If all histories of the Greeks, the Romans, the sixteenth-century humanists, German positivists, French radical socialists, Marxists and neo-Marxists of the twentieth century, and today, sin gravely, it is by their own successive failings. History never stops annexing the histories of living epochs; it has to pile up centuries and millennia, and needs other historical views of past worlds. There have to be medieval clerics reading Aristotle, men of the Renaissance reading Plutarch. It was necessary to wait till the end of the twentieth century for enough histories to die, amassed by the sucessive attentions of living eras, finally to see the birth, in the heart of our times, of one of the most overlooked: that of the feminine gender.Less
This book has described every aspect of women's lives in ancient Greece, including their sexuality and marriage. History is not born like Athena, springing from her father's head already complete fully armed and for always. If all histories of the Greeks, the Romans, the sixteenth-century humanists, German positivists, French radical socialists, Marxists and neo-Marxists of the twentieth century, and today, sin gravely, it is by their own successive failings. History never stops annexing the histories of living epochs; it has to pile up centuries and millennia, and needs other historical views of past worlds. There have to be medieval clerics reading Aristotle, men of the Renaissance reading Plutarch. It was necessary to wait till the end of the twentieth century for enough histories to die, amassed by the sucessive attentions of living eras, finally to see the birth, in the heart of our times, of one of the most overlooked: that of the feminine gender.
Malcolm Heath
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780199259205
- eISBN:
- 9780191717932
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199259205.003.0009
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Literary Studies: Classical, Early, and Medieval
This chapter addresses the social functions of rhetoric in late antiquity. Although it is widely believed that oratory in this period was primarily epideictic, the dominant focus of rhetorical theory ...
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This chapter addresses the social functions of rhetoric in late antiquity. Although it is widely believed that oratory in this period was primarily epideictic, the dominant focus of rhetorical theory and teaching was on forensic and deliberative oratory. Evidence from many sources, including Plutarch and Libanius, shows that the careers of students emerging from the schools of rhetoric would often have involved advocacy or local politics. The use of declamation in rhetorical training does not imply a retreat from reality; declamation was practised primarily (though not exclusively) as a preparation for real oratory. This continuing practical relevance is reflected in the persistence of rhetoric: the subject was still flourishing in 5th-century Alexandria. Adaptability also helped: changes in curriculum structure provided a flexibility which could meet the needs of those who became advocates in low-level courts as well as the social elite for whom cultural prestige was paramount.Less
This chapter addresses the social functions of rhetoric in late antiquity. Although it is widely believed that oratory in this period was primarily epideictic, the dominant focus of rhetorical theory and teaching was on forensic and deliberative oratory. Evidence from many sources, including Plutarch and Libanius, shows that the careers of students emerging from the schools of rhetoric would often have involved advocacy or local politics. The use of declamation in rhetorical training does not imply a retreat from reality; declamation was practised primarily (though not exclusively) as a preparation for real oratory. This continuing practical relevance is reflected in the persistence of rhetoric: the subject was still flourishing in 5th-century Alexandria. Adaptability also helped: changes in curriculum structure provided a flexibility which could meet the needs of those who became advocates in low-level courts as well as the social elite for whom cultural prestige was paramount.
