Plutarch's Morals

by Plutarch

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Genres: Philosophy, Classics, History, Nonfiction, Essays, Ancient, Ancient History

Paperback

First published January 1, 120

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

[Daniel Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is quite possibly on more of my shelves than any other book. Plutarch was a man of letters of unlimited curiosity; his overall subject, worked out across innumerable essays, dialogues, letters, speeches, and stories, is nothing less than life itself. As such, he provides an invaluable glimpse into a full cross-section of the classical world. He is not an original thinker, but he dissects the thought with which he was familiar with humility, care, and intelligence.

His practical advice is wise and insightful - indeed, I often think we'd be better off sticking with Plutarch than listening to some of today's dreary self-help gurus. His chief fault is that, like all classical moralists in the end, he falls into the platitudinous.

[Viktoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

...Изданието бележи началото на последователен цялостен превод на български език на "Нравствени съчинения". Започва се със "Забележителни дела и думи", защото самият Плутарх ги e създал като съществено допълнение към "Успоредни животописи". Авторът е работил със съзнанието, че словата на изтъкнатите личности са събрани "като примери и зародиши на животоописанията им". Тъй като дават възможност да се абстрахираме от намесата на съдбата, "изказванията и изявленията, които съпътстват делата, страданията и успехите, позволяват да наблюдаваме ясно духовния облик на всеки". Така, въпреки че Плутарх залага в тях претенцията за историчност, тези афоризми, анекдоти и дори кратки есета носят заряда на етнокултурна характеристика. Те позволяват да надникнем в най-скритите кътчета на гръцкия, римския и варварския характер с техните добродетели и пороци, със забележителни примери за приятелство и любов, воинска доблест, уважение към равностойния противник, чувство за чест и достойнство и какво ли още не. Затова не е учудващо, че към тях се обръщат много поколения европейци, които ги четат и имитират.

На места доста препрочитах( дори и аз:р) за да мога да стигна до непокътнатото,до началото... и се оттърся от всичко натрапено СЛЕД...
Егати ума.
Несъмнено е скучно само за онзи на когото не му достига... душевна интелигентност:)))) Книгата е бижу не само сама по себе си.

[Josh Friedlander · Rating 3 out of 5]

Plutarch is best-known for his various biographical works, particularly those paired in Parallel Lives. The Moralia, for centuries his more famous work, is a large collection of various ethical essays, some known not to have been authored by him. The edition I listened to was a selection made by Richard Shilleto in his 19th-century translation, the twenty-six ethical essays (the "cream of the Moralia", per Shilleto) and seventeen others on miscellaneous subjects such as brotherly love, fate, stories about great leaders, and whether old men should stay in politics (spoiler: yes). It's mostly still good advice, although occasionally there are bits that have aged less well - he is undecided as to whether one should let one's underage sons take older lovers, and advises against mourning as "womanly". On a different note, there are a couple of references to the viper which "gets its way to life by gnawing through its mother's womb". I figured that surely couldn't be true - and of course it isn't, it's insane (although they do, unusually for reptiles, give live birth) - but another one for the list of bizarre scientific beliefs ancient people had that could easily have been debunked by observation. And in fact it turns out that this is among the "vulgar errors" that Thomas Browne, that great empiricist and the man Borges called "the best prose writer in the English language", debunked in his Pseudodoxia Epidemica!

[Ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book.

Quite a strong philosophy read.

Not as good as Lives, but still a very strong one.

3.9/5

[Sandro Mikelashvili · Rating 5 out of 5]

მარტო სპარტელი ქალების ისტორიების გადასაკითხად ღირს ამ წიგნის წაკითხვა.

[Illiterate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Plutarch combines Platonist critiques of Stoicism (eg Moral Virtue, Progress in Virtue) with philosophical advice (eg Talkativeness, Anger).

[Robert Narojek · Rating 3 out of 5]

An ancient thinker in an interesting, sometimes funny way, describing various moral issues from marital recommendations through chatter, restraint of anger, to the uplifting of the spirit.

Many of these principles seem to be worth refreshing in societies today. Whoever will read it at least is going to be aware of them, and if she/he will apply them in everyday life, is solely at the discretion of the reader.

[Mathijs · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beetje de Ad Verbruggen onder de antieken...

[Amy Hansen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interest level and quality depended on the section. The amorous sections were the worst; the ones on honey and friendship the best. (I would say) Probably don’t read this on an iPhone. It made the read unnecessarily painful.

[Miranda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this solely for the inclusion of the story of various strong women included, my favorite — and the most notable of which imo — is Chiomara, a Gaelic woman who, after being stolen away, is rescued and carries the head of her rapist, which she orders the removal of, back home to her husband. When he reacts to this by implying it was improper, she responds by essentially telling him that only one person can live who has been intimate with her, a retort I took less of a show of her faith and fidelity as Plutarch implies, and more along the lines of “It was him, or you husband. Be grateful,” making her both my hero and one of the most badass women I’ve ever encountered.

So, while it’s a bit odd to review such an old work, I needed to inform everyone of the wonder that is Chiomara.

[James Violand · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best works I've ever read. This should be titled, "How To Find Happiness". It is a philosophical work by a non-philosopher and rings true. It is fairly easy to read - assuming one has exercised his brain occasionally - and filled with examples of merit. I will read and re-read this book to the end of my life.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

I decided to read Moralia because I read that Plutarch was influence of Montaigne and other essayists. It was pretty much what I expected. The style is long-winded and full of repeating commonplaces. Good writing back then meant that you provided a bunch of examples of what you're talking about from histories and myths.

From my perspective, the crux of P's whole deal is That Virtue May Be Taught. He believes in the power of his writing to help his readers make themselves better.

O sirs, by asserting that virtue is not a thing to be taught, why are we making it unreal?

This is big, if true. These days we find such explicit moral instruction repetitive and tiresome. It is common sense that you shouldn't talk so much that people get bored of you; is reading an essay On Talkativeness really going to move the needle for anyone? You have to admire P's sincerity that moral education is possible, even if his execution leaves something to be desired. I'll write about a few bits I liked.

Speaking On Moral Virtue, P outlines a theory of practical reason. We make decisions under uncertainty and with the aid of our emotions and desires.

prudence, which has to enter into matters full of obscurity and confusion, frequently has to take its chance, and to deliberate about things which are uncertain, and, in carrying the deliberation into practice, has to co-operate with the unreasoning element, which comes to its help, and is involved in its decisions, for they need an impetus

Put this way, moral reasoning is not a perfectible process of logic, nor is it a matter of austerely putting one's emotions to the side. It is an inevitably messy affair in which we have to practice working with our emotions to develop good habits. I find this picture compelling.

P and I fundamentally agree that the only way to a contented mind is a clean conscience. He puts it in literal terms of being able to sleep at night.

A story is told about the philosopher Stilpo, that he thought he saw in a dream Poseidon angry with him because he had not sacrificed an ox to him, as was usual among the Megarians: and that he, not a bit frightened, said, "What are you talking about, Poseidon? Do you come here as a peevish boy, because I have not with borrowed money filled the town with the smell of sacrifice, and have only sacrificed to you out of what I had at home on a modest scale?" Then he thought that Poseidon smiled at him, and held out his right hand, and said that for his sake he would give the Megarians a large shoal of anchovies.

You can't have nightmares of guilt if you know you didn't do anything wrong.

P, speaking On Contentedness of Mind, points out that solitude is not a solution for anxiety.

But we ought not to estimate ease or unrest of mind by our many or few actions, but by their fairness or foulness. For the omission of fair actions troubles and distresses us, as I have said before, quite as much as the actual doing of foul actions.

Whether 'Live Unknown' Be a Wise Precept: I was always interested by the Aristotelian virtue of magnanimity (the midpoint between the vices of self-deprecation and boastfulness). You should want to do great things and be proud of them! I love the way P puts it here:

And I think that life itself, and the way we come into the world, is so ordained by the deity that we should know one another. For everyone comes into this great universe obscure...

Finally, On Exile is a great explanation of cosmopolitanism, and still feels relevant to a modern sensibility.

in a strange land we look on the earth, the sea, the air, the sky, as if we doubted whether or not they were different from those we had been accustomed to. For nature makes us free and unrestrained, but we bind and confine immure and force ourselves into small and scanty space.

P's point is that exile can't be all that bad, because you can always just live in a different city. Taking a naturalist point of view, the whole world is our habitat.

[Stuart Dean · Rating 3 out of 5]

Plutarch discusses philosophy in the Greek style. He starts with a letter to a newlywed couple on how to have successful marriage, mostly directed at the new wife. Much of the advice in quite dated and sexist, but we must keep in mind that it is entirely likely that the husband is over 30 and the wife is around 14, so she needs all the help she can get. The parts about not wearing shoes and being totally subservient to the husband aren't nice, but most of it is about how marriage is a partnership and can only succeed if both partners work at it towards the same end. Practically all the advice given to the wife should also be followed by the husband and would not be out of place today.

He then questions why the Oracles are no longer as prominent as they once were. It is mentioned that after 600 years of warfare, famine, and plague the country is woefully underpopulated and this might have some impact on the upkeep of Oracles. But much time is spent discussing whether the gods have left or are angry or were never there to begin with. In the middle is a long bit on numerology and cosmology.

Plutarch covers the important question of which is smarter, land animals or sea animals.

Included is the letter Plutarch sent to his wife on the death of their two year old daughter. It's a poignant read from a stoic man reminding his wife to remember the good times and not dwell on the loss. In the British manner, keep a stiff upper lip and carry on.

Then Odysseus argues with a pig over which of them is the most virtuous.

A good selection of Plutarch's moral essays with some real philosophy and advice on living a virtuous life.

[Richard Bracken · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ralph Waldo Emerson introduced me to Montaigne. Montaigne cited so much from Plutarch’s Moralia that I couldn’t help but return to that lauded historian with this work.

The Moralia is made up of various essays where Plutarch riffs on a wide variety of topics such as Virtue and Vice, Curiosity, Restraining Anger, Etc. He uses examples from Greek and Roman notables to color his conclusions.

My favorite essay, BY FAR, was one entitled On Superstition.

Have you ever examined your faith and wondered how many of your do’s and don’ts are attributable to genuine faith or that of superstition? It’s an exercise I hadn’t considered until I read this essay. In it he attempts to show that superstition is not only worse than atheism, of all things, but in fact, often serves as a bridge to it. I found it unbelievably profound.

…atheism is an indifferent feeling toward the Deity, which has no notion of the good, and superstition is a multitude of differing feelings with an underlying notion that the good is evil. For the superstitious fear the gods, and flee to the gods for help; they flatter them and assail them with abuse, pray to them and blame them.

Plutarch (a Greek Roman; 50-120 AD) offers a curious contrast of authentic faith (“brave hope”) from the Illiad with an illusory/superstitious example in Jewish history.

”Ajax, as he was about to engage in single combat with Hector, bade the Greeks pray to the gods for him, and then, while they were praying, donned his armor;…

…God is brave hope, not cowardly excuse. But the Jews, because it was the Sabbath day, sat in their places immovable, while the enemy were planting ladders against the walls and capturing the defenses, and they did not get up, but remained there, fast bound in the toils of superstition as in one great net.”

He continues

…The atheist thinks there are no gods; the superstitious man wishes there were none, but believes in them against his will; for he is afraid not to believe.

…there is no infirmity comprehending such a multitude of errors and emotions, and involving opinions so contradictory, or rather antagonistic, as that of superstition. We must try, therefore, to escape it in some way which is both safe and expedient, and not be like people who incautiously and blindly run hither and thither to escape from an attack of robbers or wild beasts, or from a fire, and rush into trackless places that contain pitfalls and precipices. For thus it is that some persons, in trying to escape superstition, rush into a rough and hardened atheism, thus overleaping true religion which lies between.”

May my faith be based on “brave hope”, deeply rooted in “true religion”

[Greg S · Rating 4 out of 5]

Only finished volume 1, but it's fantastic.

It has some chapter which belong more in his "Lives" than in here. Quotes from Generals, and so forth.

The lessons here are surprisingly practical today. A lot of the advice has only come back 20 years ago?

There's very few Ancient Greek medicine and metaphysical discussion. It's really more applicable advice.

What is anger, where does it come from, how to manage it.

What is grief, how to deal with grief, how to help a friend in morning.

Parents; how to act with you children (sons, of course). How to discipline your children. What not to do.

A great aspect I loved very much was that Plutarch makes references to other philosophers every change he gets. Here paraphrase and sometimes directly quotes them. I was pleasantly surprised to learn more about Plato and Socrates in this book.

No doubt a long read. And I've only done volume 1!
But if you look at my progress notes, you will see the almost endless list of quotes that I found amazing and insightful.

I recently applied some of his insight into anger and it came at the perfect time. This should be given to College students or something. Maybe an abridged version.

Anyways, I say read slowly and bring a highlighter.

[Lydia]

Content Summary:

Romance: N/A
Violence & Gore: Discussion of war and uprisings. Nothing overly graphic.
Profanity: N/A
Substance Use: N/A
Frightening/Triggering Scenes: See violence category

I only read this because Suzanne Collins purposely uses old Greek and Roman mythology and history to produce her masterpiece books. I was curious to see how the real Plutarch compared to the book/movie one (since I do believe he may be our next main character). He was still in the advisor role and could definitely swing to whichever one needed him more. I enjoyed his essays and honestly thought they made a lot of sense. The one on borrowing should be taught to kids in school, and I personally vibed with the comparison of Meander and Aristophanes. I think that Plutarch was in a very interesting position and believed he could utilize his influence for good (but how quickly that would happen is the thought that should be argued). Highly recommend checking some of these works out!

[Thomas Gorman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading or listening through Plutarch's "Moralia" is a must do in one's lifetime. He captures many of the same struggles we all have in life in his writings, the vices and virtues, and slivers of wisdom as it pertains to the ancient Roman gods. There are lessons on running a household, ensuring a good education for your children, on what retirement age people should do. While this is by no means a perfect collection of writings as of course in those times women had little power and slavery existed, but you will learn how Plutarch interprets life lessons as they pertain to morals as he recounts the lives of those before him and even some of his own life.

[he chow · Rating 4 out of 5]

摘录：
https://manjuorg.wordpress.com/2022/0...
神明没有意愿隐屠真理不予揭露，然而拿诗作为媒介使得经过情形受到扭曲和偏离，如同光线的折射作用会分为不同的方向，这样做的目的在免于受到憎恶或引起反感。有很多情况之所以发生是很自然也很公正的事，像是有些僭主无法明了真相，突然生变因而覆灭，同样是他们的敌人没有学会事先的充分准备，仓促行事难免失利。基于这些缘故，神明要加上暗示和暧昧的外衣②，用来掩盖相丘之间的关系，以及他们所关心的事项;涉人其中的人祂不会让他们置身事外，只要能把这些事务放在心中，神明也不会故意给予误导。

https://manjuorg.wordpress.com/2022/0...
天神將歷史發展的主軸抓在手中，
細節部分交由造化小兒任意撥弄。

https://manjuorg.wordpress.com/2022/0...
荷马的诗拥有无上的魅力。

[SF · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don't get too excited with new knowledge, books, or wisdom. All the wisdom that exists today has already been written down hundreds or thousands of years ago. Nothing is new. It’s only re-packaged and presented to us in easily digestible language in a modern form (self-help books, etc.). Read classics. Read knowledge that has passed the test of time. Plutarch's Moralia is of this category.

[Ed Barton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Classic

This compendium of Plutarch’s works on morals and living is a decent read. Plenty of ancient wisdom drawn from Greek and Roman Times, and full of quotes from philosophers and sages. Not a page turner, but a quality collection.

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Obviously one of the great books of human literature, but Plutarch wrote many essays, some of which are more interesting than some of the ones chosen for this volume, and its a shame they weren't included.

[Barawe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Je to trochu blbé, že jsem ve skutečnosti četla jinou, českou knížku - O strachu z bohů, ale ta tu není na výběru a mě se takovou podivnost zakládat nechce, protože kdo by to taky přečet, že....

[Nziza David · Rating 4 out of 5]

timeless advice

[Frankie]

Plutarch - How to tell a Flatterer from a Friend

[James Carrigy]

Unable to review due to its fragmentary state.

[Danijel Brestovac · Rating 4 out of 5]

Morala za vsakdanjo rabo

Stran 47- vsak ima namreč rad samega sebe, in Pahor ne z namenom, da bi od sebe terjal povračilo za to ljubezen, pač pa je vsakdo sebi drag zaradi samega sebe. Če se v prijateljstvu ne obnašamo na isti način, ne bomo nikoli našli pravega prijatelja, ki je kot alter ego - drugi jaz (Cicero ~ razprava O prijateljstvu)

Stran 67- prilizovalec je kakor pes, ki raztrga svojega gospodarja.

Str. 127- zavist je bolezen duše, ki je ni mogoče priznati, zato jo vsak poskuša prikriti.

Str. 138- kljub gosto stkani mreži citatov in anekdot,  prepleteni z ostroumnimi psihološkimi opažanji in koristnimi obstetric, je posameznik v iskanju boljšega življenja prepuščen naključju in samemu sebi ter možnosti, da mu uspe.

Str. 175- ker je danes glas prijateljstva obmenel in ošibel pri odkritem pogovoru, pri prikazovanju je gostobeseden in nem pri opominih, se moramo obrniti na sovražnike, če hočemo slišati resnico.

Str. 325- pravega bogastva se ne da kupiti.

Str. 327- pohlep je duševna bolezen

[Lulu]

Late 1st CE? Over several decades? [The Moralia was composed first, while writing the Lives occupied much of the last two decades of Plutarch's life.] he was born 45 CE

Dinner of the Seven Wise Men - Book II
Amatorius / dialogue on love
On the Apparent Face in the Orb of the Moon
Oracles of delphi https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
On isis and osiris https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...

Plutarch had written seriously about the possibility that the mottled appearance of the moon was caused by vegetation, weather or oceans on the lunar surface. In his footnotes, Kepler wrote that he was inspired by the writings of Lucian and Plutarch to write Somnium.

Plutarch also reported legends of an ancient gateway between the worlds, sited in the northern islands of Thule.

[Zvonimir · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very hit and miss this time around. I don't know if it's a translation thing, but he mixed up a few terms and goes wild and wide trying to explain why they are bad with a million references and anecdotes. Curiosity is the best example. Keeps talking about people who are nosey who pry in other people's lives and affairs, but keeps referring to it as curiosity. Very odd. Could have used an editor and an opening paragraph or two to define the subject and not pluck example of what he think it might be from those who came before him.

[Latchezar Tomov · Rating 5 out of 5]

Тази книга заедно с "Животът на философите" на Диоген Лаерций са отлично въведение във философията и културата на древна Елада за гимназистите, по-добри от наизустяването на теории и тълкувания от учебниците. Свободните дискусии с учениците са начинът да се съпостави тяхното разбиране с постиженията на съвременната философия, без тя да се преподава като догма.

[Darina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Доволна съм- наваксах с древните клюки ;) Ако се съди по заглавието, може да се очаква, че ще ни се предстви описание на благородни или интересни герои, но Плутарх по- скоро цели да покаже какъв е бил човекът като използва анекдоти и собствените им думи. Така всеки може сам да си направи изводите. При все това, спаратанците (особено жените) са на съвсем друго ниво, без съмнение!