The Teacher of Plutarch (HSCP 1966)

Cambridge Companion to Plutarch, 2023

Journal of Roman Studies, 2003

2009

An analysis of all the material that is available on the teacher of Plutarch of Chaeronea.

The Classical Review vol. 59 (2009) no. 2, 417-419, 2009

'Plutarch and Apuleius', in: Lukas de Blois, Jeroen Bons, Ton Kessels, Dirk M. Schenkeveld (edd.), The statesman in Plutarch's works, Vol. I: Plutarch's statesman and his aftermath: political, philosophical, and literary aspects, Leiden / Boston 2004, 251-60

Imprensa da Universidade de Coimbra A C-   E P Contents Preface Editors Index rerum Cleomenes III (Spartan king) 129 (n. 9); 248; 286. Cleopatra (second wife of Philip II of Macedon) 193; 195; 197; 204-205; 214. Cleopatra VII (Egyptian queen) 152 (n. 29); 232; 242 (n. 61); 435 (n. 39). Cornelius Scipio Aemilianus, P. (cos. 147 and 134 B.C.) 278. Cornelius Scipio Africanus, P. (cos. 205 and 194 B.C.) 284; 286; 344-346; 354-355. Cornelius Sulla, L. (dictator) 171 (n. 45); 184; 284; 432. Cyrus the Great (Persian king) 131 (n. 2); 235-236. Cyrus the Younger (second son of Darius II)

Among all 'barbaric' cultures, that of Egypt seems to have been of specific appeal to the Chaeronean. Plutarch'sknowledge of Egyptian religion and mythology is most obviously attested in the On Isis and Osiris,but his interest in Egyptian matters radiates throughout his entireo euvre, includingt he Table Talk. This studyaims to investigate how the Table Talk reflects Plutarch'sa ttitude towards Egyptian culture. Such an analysis seems relevant,because recent scholarship has especiallyunderlined the panhellenic point of focalisation in this work, arguing that the sympotic setting of the discussions expresses astrongsense of hellenocentrism and Greek cosmopolitanism. This contribution takes an open stance towards Plutarch'sh ellenocentrism, arguing thatthe Chaeroneanwas primarilyconcerned with the philosophy, rather than the socio-culturald ynamic, behind non-Greek cultural manifestations. Now do we know that there is no mid-centre of earth or of ocean; Yeti ft hereb e, it is known to the gods, but is hidden fromm ortals. De def.o r. 409F,t ransl. F.C. Babbitt Plutarch'sv ision of non-Greek culture Plutarch is commonlyk nown as aw ell-educated Greek of Boeotian descent,w ho livedand worked in the socio-political reality of the Roman Empire.¹ His intellectual interests weren ot,h owever,c onfined to an exploration of the dominant Graeco-Roman culture. In several writings, the Chaeroneand emonstrates an intellectual openness to the habits and achievements of other-for thatm atter 'barbaric'-nations (understood as unitiesb othi ng eographical and culturalt erms). From an entry in the Lamprias Catalogue we know,f or instance,t hat he had actuallyc omposed acollection of Barbarian Questions.² He there probablysought to explain specific non-Graeco-Roman phenomena in az etetic-aetiological fashion after the manner of the Greek and Roman Questions. This is not to saythat Plutarch'sstance comes even near to the standards of the contemporary ideologyo fm ulticulturalism. As is well known, the Chaeronean was not at all shyt op rovide an interpretatio Graeca