Plutarchus

Philosopher, Historian, Writer, Ambassador, Priest (c.46 – 120)

The historian and philosopher Plutarch was one of the greatest spiritual figures and philosophers of post-Classical Greece, characterized as the “eye of all wisdom”. His monumental works on history, philosophy, biographies, religion, natural sciences and pedagogy are part of the Ancient Greek thesaurus and reflect some of the most influential writings ever survived from antiquity.

Plutarch studied philosophy, mathematics and rhetoric in Chaeronea and Athens under the philosopher Ammonius. From a young age, he joined the higher echelons of the Roman elite and occupied important diplomatic positions in Rome. Under Emperor Trajanus’ rule, he was appointed supreme commissioner of the Illyrians and imperial procurator of Achaea by Emperor Hadrian. According to Suidas, Plutarch also served as Trajanus’ teacher. He travelled to several placed in an effort to educate himself, until settling in Rome, where he obtained a dual Greek and Roman citizenship. There, he delivered influential lectures to the Romans on Platonic philosophy, becoming one of the most respected philosophers of the Roman elite. In addition, Plutarch served significant hieratic ranks, most notably as the high hieratic priest of the Oracle of Delphi from 95 until his death in 120. He was responsible for the interpretation of the Oracle’s predictions.

Plutarch founded the Plutarcheian School of philosophy, an unofficial school composed of a circle of students to whom Plutarch taught philosophy, rhetoric and sciences. He was a prolific writer, having written over 200 works as slated in the Catalogue of Lambrias. His works which survive today have been grouped into two major books: Parallel Lives and Moralia. In the first one, Plutarch compares the biographies of historical Greek and Roman figures in pairs of 2. With a total of 23 surviving pairs, Plutarch’s book becomes one of the most valuable sources of study of the lives of Hesiod, Nero, Cicero, Pindar, Julius Caesar and Alexander the Great. Plutarch wrote the Parallel Lives in order to display examples of virtuous men.

While Parallel Lives seems to have been more famous throughout the West, Moralia is appreciated more than Parallel Lives. It is a collection of 83 books, some of which survive completely, which have, nevertheless, no particular thematic connection with each other. Their content ranges from philosophical, ethical and religious, to historical, anecdotal and purely scientific. The most notable books included in the collection are On the Education of Children, On the Glory of the Athenians, On Isis and Osiris, On the Ei on Delphi, On the Obsolescence of Oracles, On the Sign of Socrates, On Moral Virtue and On the Malice of Herodotus.

Plutarch was a polymath. As reflected in his books On Isis and Osiris, On the Ei on Delphi and On the Sign of Socrates, he possessed profound knowledge on the issues of the soul. Even though primarily a Platonist, he had vast knowledge on all philosophic schools. He embraced doctrines from various different schools provided that they were in accordance with virtue and ethics. Plutarch lived at a time when Classicism was on its downfall and Christianity began prevailing over the ancient religion. As such, he devoted all of his efforts in restoring the Oracle of Delphi to its former glory.

Important philosophers and reformists such as Calvin, Melanchthon, Amyot, Aldus Manutius, Goethe, Schiller, Benjamin Franklin, Wyttenbach and Frederick the Great were all influenced tremendously by his works and considered him as one of the wisest philosophers of antiquity. Erasmus was one of Plutarch’s greatest admirers, calling his works the holiest writings next to the Holy Scripture while Jean-Jacque Rousseau referred to him as “Teacher”, spending 6 whole years studying his works in Ancient Greek. His works also played a pivotal role in the revival of Classicism during the Renaissance. His pedagogic books were introduced in the educational system and in the military schools of France during the Enlightenment thus becoming the textbook of Napoleon.

In the end, Plutarch is considered one of the Greatest Greeks because through his titanic work, he was educator of children and men throughout the ages, taught philosophy and science to the entire Western world and showed humanity the way to a virtuous life and to the unification with the Divine, at a time when the Ancient Greek spirit was beginning to eclipse.

Bibliography

1. Cartwright, Mark. Plutarch. Ancient History Encyclopedia. Ancient.eu. Web. February 25, 2017. Retrieved on February 17, 2017.
2. “Plutarchus”. Helios New Encyclopaedic Dictionary. Passas, I. Athens, 1946. Print.