Moralia: Volume VII

by Plutarch, Phillip H. De Lacy (Translator), Benedict Einarson (Translator)

Plutarch (Plutarchus), ca. 45-120 CE, was born at Chaeronea in Boeotia in central Greece, studied philosophy at Athens, and, after coming to Rome as a teacher in philosophy, was given consular rank by the emperor Trajan and a procuratorship in Greece by Hadrian. He was married and the father of one daughter and four sons. He appears as a man of kindly character and independent thought, studious and learned.

Plutarch wrote on many subjects. Most popular have always been the 46 Parallel Lives, biographies planned to be ethical examples in pairs (in each pair, one Greek figure and one similar Roman), though the last four lives are single. All are invaluable sources of our knowledge of the lives and characters of Greek and Roman statesmen, soldiers and orators. Plutarch's many other varied extant works, about 60 in number, are known as Moralia or Moral Essays. They are of high literary value, besides being of great use to people interested in philosophy, ethics and religion.

The Loeb Classical Library edition of the Moralia is in fifteen volumes, volume XIII having two parts.

640 pages, hardback

First published January 1, 1928

About the author

Plutarch (later named, upon becoming a Roman citizen, Lucius Mestrius Plutarchus; AD 46–AD 120) was a Greek historian, biographer, and essayist, known primarily for his Parallel Lives and Moralia. He is classified as a Middle Platonist. Plutarch's surviving works were written in Greek, but intended for both Greek and Roman readers.

Reviews

[Unknown · Rating 3 out of 5]

He instituted a change in his way of life that could hardly be believed . . . he had risen somewhat and was breathing with his whole being and seeing on all sides, his soul having opened wide as if it were a single eye. —On the Delays of the Divine Vengeance, 563d, 563e

. . . a life that was settled leisurely, undistracted, and truly his own. —On Exile, 6703e

The quiet for which others thirst, you can repeatedly enjoy. —On Exile, 603e

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This volume contains the following essays:
• On Love of Wealth
• On Compliancy
• On Envy and Hate
• On Praising Oneself Inoffensively
• On the Delays of the Divine Vengeance
• On Fate
• On the Sign of Socrates
• On Exile
• Consolation to his Wife
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A mixed bag. More interesting for their relation of Ancient views and Historical anecdotes.
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On Love of Wealth
Money cannot buy peace of mind, greatness of spirit, serenity, confidence, and self-sufficiency. (523d)

. . . have in the soul a luminousness of their own and a surpassing radiance (528a)
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On Praising Oneself Inoffensively
The lines

This have I: what I ate, what with high hand
I seized, the lover’s soft delight. —Epitatph of Sardanapalus

Were very happily answered by Crates when he wrote

This have I: what I learned, what with deep thought
I grasped, the Muses’ stern delight. —Fragment 8

(546a)
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On the Delays of the Divine Vengeance
. . . revolves within itself and dwells upon this: how it might escape from the memory of its iniquities, drive out of itself the consciousness of guilt, regain its purity, and begin its life anew. (556a)

The scars and welts left by the different passions are more persistent in some, less so in others. (565b)

For one soul, from weakness of reason and neglect of contemplation, is borne down by its practical proclivity to both, while another, needing and instrument for its licentiousness, earns to knot its appetites to their fruition and gratify them through the body, for here there is nothing but an imperfect shadow and dream of never consummated pleasure. (565d)
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On Fate
And so, when the same cause returns again, we shall, once more becoming the same persons, do the same things and in the same way, and so will all men besides . . . and everything that is found in a single entire revolution will be repeated in similar fashion in each of the entire revolutions as well. (569c)

It neither was nor is right for him who is best to do aught save that which is most excellent. (573c)
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On the Sign of Socrates
such amazing antiquity . . . (577f)

The god was using the inscription to instruct and urge the Greeks to live in the enjoyment of leisure and peace by always taking philosophy as their field of contention, laying their arms aside and settling their disputes about right and wrong by an appeal to the Muses and discussion. (579a)

Rely on sober reason in the pursuit of truth. (580c)

. . . guided by a higher authority and principle to noble conduct. (581d)

For the act does not belong to the instrument, but to the person to whom the instrument itself belongs, who uses it for the act. (582c)

Exercising till your appetites, like so many animals, have been stirred up, you place yourselves for some time before splendid tables and varied meats; then, relinquish to your slaves the enjoyment of the feast, you partake yourselves of plain and simple fare with desires which by that tie have been chastened. For abstention from pleasure n what is allowed is a training of the soul to resist what is forbidden. (585a)

Provided his sons with the best upbringing, schooling them in philosophy. (585d)

“Has anything unexpected occurred, Phyllidas?” He replied: “nothing I had not expected, Caphisias . . .” (586b)

He came up in the morning with a radiant countenance. (590b)

"That is the way, sir,” said my father with a smile: “to be silent and chary of speech, but insatiable of learning and listening.” (592f)

"What token of authority do you bring?” “This is my authority,” said Phyllidas, and, as he said it, ran him through the body with a cavalry lance he held, striking down a vile fellow, on whom not a few women trod and spat the next day. (598b)
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On Exile
If, therefore, we suffer some real and truly painful calamity, we must common cheerfulness and peace of spirit by drawing upon the store of good still left us, using our own resources to smooth out the roughness of what comes from outside ourselves. (600d)

For nature leaves us free and untrammelled; it is we who bind ourselves, confine ourselves, immure ourselves, herd ourselves into cramped and sordid quarters. (601c)

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

On the Love of Wealth was my favorite of the many essays and dialogues in this volume.

[Alexander Rolfe · Rating 5 out of 5]

My sentiments often coincide with Plutarch's. When an actor says it's greater to make an audience weep than laugh, Plutarch says it is greater to put an end to sorrow and lamentation. Agreed! He quotes Aristotle's remark to Alexander that not only the rulers of a great empire have a right to be proud, but also those with true opinions about the gods. Well said! I had the older kids read On Compliancy, so now we're making an effort not to give in to bad requests. I fear I'm still too prone to join a standing ovation I don't mean, but I hope to make moral progress.

His dialogue on the divine sign of Socrates was interesting, as was the essay on divine vengeance. Hell is certainly not new with Christianity-- the descriptions were like Dante's Inferno.

[Stuart Dean · Rating 4 out of 5]

More of Plutarch's essays. Among others, Plutarch gives his interpretation of the nature of the afterlife like Dante's Divine Comedy. A man gets transported to the afterlife and sees how souls are treated, with many becoming stars, while others are less fortunate. Plutarch gives us his interpretation of hell, with lakes of fire and various tortures. The view of those ascending to heaven are given again in a second essay. The book ends with a repeat of Plutarch's letter to his wife on the death of their daughter. Many good lessons on morality still relevant today.

[Fabian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Note: It’s hard/ impossible to „review“ essays because some seem relevant only after the second/ third reading (when put into real world context).

But Plutarch certainly can be called one of the greatest essayists ever.