Moralia

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Selected essays from Plutarch's Moralia, Penguin Classics edition 1992
Selected essays from Plutarch's Moralia, Penguin Classics edition 1992

The Moralia (Greek: Ἠθικὰ — loosely translatable as Matters relating to customs and mores) of the first-century Greek priest Plutarch of Delphi is an eclectic collection of 78 essays and transcribed speeches. They give an insight into Roman and Greek life, but often are also fascinating timeless observations in their own right. Many generations of Europeans have read or imitated them, including Montaigne and the Renaissance Humanists and Enlightenment philosophers.

The Moralia include On the Fortune or the Virtue of Alexander the Great — an important adjunct to his Life of the great general — On the Worship of Isis and Osiris (a crucial source of information on Egyptian religious rites), and On the Malice of Herodotus (which may, like the orations on Alexander's accomplishments, have been a rhetorical exercise), in which Plutarch criticizes what he sees as systematic bias in the Father of History's work; along with more philosophical treatises, such as On the Decline of the Oracles, On the Delays of the Divine Vengeance, On Peace of Mind and lighter fare, such as Odysseus and Gryllus, a humorous dialog between Homer's Odysseus and one of Circe's enchanted pigs. The Moralia were composed first, while writing the Lives occupied much of the last two decades of Plutarch's own life.

Some editions of the Moralia include several works now known to be pseudepigrapha: among these are the Lives of the Ten Orators (biographies of the Ten Orators of ancient Athens, based on Caecilius of Calacte), The Doctrines of the Philosophers, and On Music. One "pseudo-Plutarch" is held responsible for all of these works, though their authorship is of course unknown. Though the thoughts and opinions recorded are not Plutarch's and come from a slightly later era, they are all classical in origin and have value to the historian.

The book is famously the first reference to the problem of the Chicken and the egg.

[edit] Books

Since the Stephanus edition of 1572, the Moralia have traditionally been arranged in 14 books, as follows:

  • I.
    • 1. On the Education of Children (Περὶ παίδων ἀγωγῆς - De liberis educandis)
    • 2. How the Young Man Should Study Poetry (Πώς δει τον νέον ποιημάτων ακούειν - Quomodo adolescens poetas audire debeat)
    • 3. On Hearing (Περί του ακούειν - De recta ratione audiendi)
    • 4. How to Tell a Flatterer from a Friend (Πώς αν τις διακρίνοιε τον κόλακα του φίλου - Quomodo adulator ab amico internoscatur)
    • 5. How a Man May Become Aware of his Progress in Virtue (Πώς αν τις αίσθοιτο εαυτού προκόπτοντος επ’ αρετή - Quomodo quis suos in virtute sentiat profectus)
  • II.
    • 6. How to Profit by One's Enemies (Πώς αν τις υπ’ εχθρών ωφελοίτο - De capienda ex inimicis utilitate)
    • 7. On Having Many Friends (Περί πολυφιλίας - De amicorum multitudine)
    • 8. On Chance (Περί τύχης - De fortuna)
    • 9. On Virtue and Vice (Περί αρετής και κακίας - De virtute et vitio)
    • 10. Letter of Condolence to Apollonius (Παραμυθητικός προς Απολλώνιον - Consolatio ad Apollonium)
    • 11. Advice about Keeping Well (Υγιεινά παραγγέλματα - De tuenda sanitate praecepta)
    • 12. Advice to Bride and Groom (Γαμικά παραγγέλματα - Coniugalia praecepta)
    • 13. Dinner of the Seven Wise Men (Επτά σοφών συμπόσιον - Septem sapientium convivium)
    • 14. On Superstition (Περί δεισιδαιμονίας - De superstitione)
  • III.
    • 15. Sayings of Kings and Commanders (Βασιλέων αποφθέγματα και στρατηγών - regum et imperatorem apophthegmata)
    • 16. Sayings of the Spartans (Άποφθέγματα Λακωνικά - apophthegmata Laconica)
    • 17. Institutions of the Spartans (Τα παλαιά των Λακεδαιμονίων επιτηδεύματα - instituta Laconica)
    • 18. Sayings of the Spartan Women (Λακαινών αποφθέγματα - Lacaenarum apophthegmata)
    • 19. Virtues of Women (Γυναικών αρεταί - Mulierum virtutes)
  • IV.
    • 20. Roman Questions (Αίτια Ρωμαϊκά - Quaestiones Romanae)
    • 21. Greek Questions (Αίτια Ελληνικά - Quaestiones Graecae)
    • 22. Greek and Roman Parallel Stories (Συναγωγή ιστοριών παραλλήλων Ελληνικών και Ρωμαϊκών - Parallela minora) (pseudo-Plutarch)
    • 23. On the Fortune of the Romans (Περί της Ρωμαίων τύχης - De fortuna Romanorum)
    • 24. On the Fortune or Virtue of Alexander the Great (Περί της Αλεξάνδρου τύχης ή αρετής - De Alexandri magni fortuna aut virtute)
    • 25. On the Glory of the Athenians (Πότερον Αθηναίοι κατά πόλεμον ή κατά σοφίαν ενδοξότεροι - De gloria Atheniensium)
  • V.
    • 26. On Isis and Osiris (Περί Ίσιδος και Οσίριδος - De Iside et Osiride)
    • 27. On the EI at Delphi (Περί τού Εί τού έν Δελφοίς - De E apud Delphos)
    • 28. Oracles at Delphi no Longer Given in Verse (Περί του μη χραν έμμετρα νυν την Πυθίαν - De Pythiae oraculis)
    • 29. On the Obsolescence of Oracles (Περί των εκλελοιπότων χρηστηρίων - De defectu oraculorum)
  • VI.
    • 30. Can Virtue be Taught? (Ει διδακτόν η αρετή - An virtus doceri possit)
    • 31. On Moral Virtue (Περί ηθικής αρετής - De virtute morali)
    • 32. On the Control of Anger (Περί αοργησίας - De cohibenda ira)
    • 33. On Tranquility of Mind (Περί ευθυμίας - De tranquillitate animi)
    • 34. On Brotherly Love (Περί φιλαδελφίας - De fraterno amore)
    • 35. On Affection for Offspring (Περί της εις τα έγγονα φιλοστοργίας - De amore prolis)
    • 36. Whether Vice is Sufficient to Cause Unhappiness (Ει αυτάρκης η κακία προς κακοδαιμονίαν - An vitiositas ad infelicitatem sufficiat)
    • 37. Whether Affections of the Soul are Worse than Those of the Body (Περί του πότερον τα ψυχής ή τα σώματος πάθη χείρονα - Animine an corporis affectiones sint peiores)
    • 38. On Talkativeness (Περί αδολεσχίας - De garrulitate)
    • 39. On Being a Busybody (Περί πολυπραγμοσύνης - De curiositate)
  • VII.
    • 40. On Love of Wealth (Περί φιλοπλουτίας - De cupiditate divitiarum)
    • 41. On Compliancy (Περί δυσωπίας - De vitioso pudore)
    • 42. On Envy and Hate (Περί φθόνου και μίσους - De invidia et odio)
    • 43. On Praising Oneself Inoffensively (Περί του εαυτόν επαινείν ανεπιφθόνως - De laude ipsius)
    • 44. On the Delays of Divine Vengeance (Περί των υπό του θείου βραδέως τιμωρουμένων - De sera numinis vindicta)
    • 45. On Fate (Περί ειμαρμένης - De fato) (pseudo-Plutarch)
    • 46. On the Sign of Socrates (Περί του Σωκράτους δαιμονίου - De genio Socratis)
    • 47. On Exile (Περί φυγής - De exilio)
    • 48. Consolation to his Wife (Παραμυθητικός προς την γυναίκα - Consolatio ad uxorem)
  • VIII.
    • 49. Table Talk (Συμποσιακά - Quaestiones convivales)
  • IX.
    • 50. Dialogue on Love (Έρωτικός - Amatorius)
  • X.
    • 51. Love Stories (Ερωτικαί διηγήσεις - Amatoriae narrationes)
    • 52. A Philosopher Ought to Converse Especially with Men in Power (Περί του ότι μάλιστα τοις ηγεμόσιν δει τον φιλόσοφον διαλέγεσθαι - Maxime cum principibus philosopho esse disserendum)
    • 53. To an Uneducated Ruler (Προς ηγεμόνα απαίδευτον - Ad principem ineruditum)
    • 54. Whether an Old Man Should Engage in Public Affairs (Ει πρεσβυτέρω πολιτευτέον - An seni respublica gerenda sit)
    • 55. Precepts of Statecraft (Πολιτικά παραγγέλματα - Praecepta gerendae reipublicae)
    • 56. On Monarchy, Democracy and Oligarchy (Περί μοναρχίας και δημοκρατίας και ολιγαρχίας - De unius in republica dominatione, populari statu, et paucorum imperio)
    • 57. That we Ought Not to Borrow (Περί του μη δειν δανείζεσθαι - De vitando aere alieno)
    • 58. Lives of the Ten Orators (Βίοι των δέκα ρητόρων - Vitae decem oratorum) (pseudo-Plutarch)
    • 59. Comparison between Aristophanes and Menander (Συγκρίσεως Αριστοφάνους και Μενάνδρου επιτομή - Comparationis Aristophanis et Menandri compendium)
  • XI.
    • 60. On the Malice of Herodotus (Περί της Ήροδότου κακοηθείας - De malignitate Herodoti)
    • 61. On the Opinions of the Philosophers (Περί των αρεσκόντων φιλοσόφοις φυσικών δογμάτων - De placitis philosophorum)
    • 62. Causes of Natural Phenomena (Αίτια φυσικά - Quaestiones naturales)
  • XII.
    • 63. On the Face Which Appears in the Orb of the Moon (Περὶ τοῦ ἐμφαινομένου προσώπου τῷ κύκλῳ τῆς σελήνης - De facie in orbe lunae)
    • 64. On the Principle of Cold (Περί του πρώτως ψυχρού - De primo frigido)
    • 65. Whether Fire or Water is More Useful (Πότερον ύδωρ ή πυρ χρησιμότερον - Aquane an ignis sit utilior)
    • 66. Whether Land or Sea Animals are Cleverer (Πότερα των ζώων φρονιμώτερα, τα χερσαία ή τα ένυδρα - De sollertia animalium)
    • 67. Beasts are Rational (Περί του τα άλογα λόγω χρήσθαι - Bruta animalia ratione uti)
    • 68. On the Eating of Flesh (Περί σαρκοφαγίας - De esu carnium)
  • XIII.
    • 69. Platonic Questions (Πλατωνικά ζητήματα - Platonicae quaestiones)
    • 70. On the Birth of the Spirit in Timaeus (Περί της εν Τιμαίω ψυχογονίας - De animae procreatione in Timaeo)
    • 71. Summary of the Birth of the Spirit (Επιτομή του περί της εν τω Τιμαίω ψυχογονίας - Epitome libri de animae procreatione in Timaeo)
    • 72. On Stoic Self-Contradictions (Περί Στωικών εναντιωμάτων - De Stoicorum repugnantiis)
    • 73. The Stoics Speak More Paradoxically than the Poets (Ότι παραδοξότερα οι Στωικοί των ποιητών λέγουσιν - Stoicos absurdiora poetis dicere)
    • 74. On Common Conceptions against the Stoics (Περί των κοινών εννοιών προς τους Στωικούς - De communibus notitiis adversus Stoicos)
  • XIV.
    • 75. It is Impossible to Live Pleasantly in the Manner of Epicurus (Ότι ουδέ ηδέως ζην έστιν κατ’ Επίκουρον - Non posse suaviter vivi secundum Epicurum)
    • 76. Against Colotes (Προς Κωλώτην - Adversus Colotem)
    • 77. Is the Saying "Live in Obscurity" Right? (Ει καλώς είρηται το λάθε βιώσας - An recte dictum sit latenter esse vivendum)
    • 78. On Music (Περί μουσικής - De musica) (pseudo-Plutarch)

[edit] Editions

[edit] External links

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1 Comparison extant · 2 Four unpaired Lives
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