Moralia: Volume III

by Plutarch

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.

Genres: History

608 pages, hardback

First published January 1, 100

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

[شمس · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the Lives the pronouncements of the men have the story of the men’s actions adjoined in the same pages, and so must wait for the time when one has the desire to read in a leisurely way; but here the remarks, made into a separate collection quite by themselves, serving, so to speak, as samples and primal elements of the men’s lives, will not, I think, be any serious tax on your time, and you will get in brief compass an opportunity to pass in review many men who have proved themselves worthy of being remembered.—Dedication to Trajan, Sayings of Kings and Commanders, 172e
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. . . used to spend on literature all the leisure he could win from his military and political duties, and he used to say that he was busiest whenever he had nothing to do. —Scipio the Elder, Sayings of Romans 196b

“You make my heart glad by building thus, as if Rome is to be eternal.”—Augustus, Sayings of Romans, 208a

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This volume contains the following essays:
• Saying of Kings and Commanders
• Sayings of Romans
• Ancient Customs of the Spartans
• Sayings of Spartan Women
• Bravery of Women
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Something different in this volume: As Plutarch himself says above, you could consider these works a condensed (yet slightly more expansive in terms of scope) version of his Lives (many of the sayings and stories can also be found in his latter work).

A mixed bag of anecdotes, but on the whole mostly good, serving to breathe life into Antiquity whilst being interesting and entertaining.

Recommended to anyone interested in Ancient Greece and Rome, or as a stand-in for those who would not otherwise read theLives.
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Sayings of Kings and Commanders
Semiramis caused a great tomb to be prepared for herself, and on it this inscription: “Whatsoever king finds himself in need of money may break into this monument and take as much as he wishes.” Darius accordingly broke into it, but found no money; he did, however, come upon another inscription reading as follows: “If you were not a wicked man with an insatiate greed for money, you would not be disturbing the places where the dead are laid.” (173b)

The Kings of the Egyptians, in accordance with a rule of their own, used to require their judges to swear that, even if the king should direct them to decide any case unfairly, they would not do so. (174c)

. . . he had the power to violate the laws of state, but not the laws of Nature. (175f)

When Archelaus, at a convivial gathering, was asked for a golden cup by one of his acquaintances of a type not commendable for character, he bade the servant give it to Euripides; and in answer to the man’s look of astonishment, he said, “It is true that you have a right to ask for it, but Euripides has a right to receive it even though he did not ask for it.” (177a)

He bade Alexander give heed to Aristotle, and study philosophy, “so that,” as he said, “you may not do a great many things of the sort that I am sorry to have done.” (Philiip, 178f)

When someone commended the frugality of Antipater, who, they said, lived a plain and simple life, he remarked, “Outwardly Antipater is plain white, but within he is all purple.” (Alexander, 180e)

Being asked whether he would rather have been Achilles or Homer, he said, “How about you yourself? Would you rather be the victor at the Olympic Games or the announcer of the victor?” (Themistocles, 185a)

Coming upon a schoolroom, he asked for a book of the Iliad, and when the teacher said that he had nothing of Homer’s, Alcibiades hit him a blow with his fist and passed on. (Alcibiades, 186e)

“My family history begins with me, but yours ends with you.” (Iphicrates, 187b)

He was won’t to say that an army of deer commanded by a lion is more to be feared than an army of lions commanded by a deer. (Chabrias, 187d)

Demetrius of Phalerum recommended to Ptolemy the king to buy and read the books dealing with the office of king and ruler. “For,” as he said, “those thing which the kings friends are not bold enough to recommend to them are written in the books.” (189d)

Lycrugus, the Spartan, introduced the custom among his citizens of wearing their hair long, saying that it made the beautiful more comely and the ugly more frightful. (189e)

In answer to a man who inquired why he and the rest wore their hair long, he said that of all ornaments this was the least expensive. (Charillus, 189f)

Archidmus, the son of Agesilaus, on seeing the missile shot by a. Catapult, which had been brought then for the first time from Siciliy, cried out, “Great Heavens! Man’s valour is no more!” (191e)

He was so frugal in his manner of living that once, when he was invited to dinner by a neighbour, and found there an elaborate display of cake and pastry and other dishes, and perfumes as well, he left at once, saying, “I thought this was to eb meal and not a display of arrogance.” (Epameinondas, 192d)

It was his habit to appear at all times with a well-groomed body and a cheerful countenance. (Epameinondas, 193a)
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Sayings of Romans
He learned that Alexander, having completed nearly all his conquests by the time he was thirty-two years old, was at an utter loss to know what he should do for the rest of his life, whereat Augustus expressed his surprise that Alexander did not regard it as a greater task to set in order the empire which he had won than to win it. (207d)
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Sayings of Spartans
Being asked how one could be a free man all his life, he said, “By feeling contempt for death.” (Agis, Son of Archidamus, 216c)

As he was listening to a musician, he said, “He seems to do his silly task fairly well.” (Demaratus, 220a)

“Why are you surprised? For I am not the same man that I was, and, not being the same man, I do not approve the same things.” (Cleomenes, Son of Anaxandridas, 223e)

Leotychidas, when someone remarked of him that he was very changeable, said, “Yes, because of varying occasion; not like all you because of your baseness.” (224c)

When someone inquired for what reason the Spartans drank so little, he said, “So that others may not deliberate over us, but we over others.” (Leotychidas, 224d)

Being asked why the best of men prefer a glorious death to an inglorious life, he said, “Because they believe the one to be Nature’s gift but the other to be within their control.” (Leonidas, 225d)

When someone inquired why he had made a law that girls should be given marriage without any dowry, he said, “So that some of them shall not be left unwedded because of lack of means, and some shall not be eagerly sought because of abundant wealth, but that each man, with an eye to the ways of the maid, shall make virtue the basis of his choice. (Lycurgus, 227f)
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The Ancient Customs of the Spartans
A thing that was met with especial approval among them was their so-called black-broth, so much so that the older men did not require a bit of meat, but have up all of it to the young men. It is said that Dionysius, the despot of Sicily, for the sake of this bought a slave who had been a Spartan cook, and ordered him to prepare the broth for him, sparing no expense; but when the king tasted it he spat it out in disgust; whereupon the cook said, “Your Majesty, it is necessary to have exercised in the Spartan manner, and to have bathed in the Eurotas, in order to relish this broth.” (236f)

[Alexander Rolfe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Much of this raw material shows up in his Lives, and I prefer reading it that way.

[Fabian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting and insightful (especially into Spartan culture).

[Silvio Curtis · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are a lot of stock quotations and factoids about ancient Greek and Roman generals and politicians floating around - I probably had most exposure to them from the World Book Encyclopedia when I was a kid. It turns out a lot of them are from Plutarch. This volume includes several of his collections. A lot of the incidents are repeated from one collection to another, and sometimes the same quotation is attributed to different people in different places. As well as the works listed in the Goodreads title here, the volume includes Bravery of Women, which is a little different, with more developed stories about women who did impressive things, usually for the benefit of their state or their husbands. It looks like a pretty obvious starting point for investigating the place of loyalty in ancient European feminine gender norms.

[Stuart Dean · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of a sayings and anecdotes about Ancient Greeks and others. Part of it written as a gift to Emperor Trajan as a condensed version of Plutarch's Lives, as Emperors are just too busy to read the whole thing. Many of the sayings are repeated as being said by several different sources. In an odd editorial choice, some sayings are represented as being in a different Greek dialect, be it Doric or Attic or whatever, and to differentiate them the translation is apparently colloquial Scottish. Still a good selection of quotes, many famous and many basically common sayings credited to someone famous.

[Jack · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent collection of quotations and stories from Plutarch. It reveals the way wit, baseness, and nobility were viewed by the ancients. One interesting note in today's world is that the wisdom and judgment of an enlightened ruler no longer has the ability to undo wrongs at a stroke. The same checks and balances that protect us from despotism, also restrain the use of power for singular good. That is the compromise of the republic.

[Karl · Rating 4 out of 5]

So this is where all those quirky factoids about famous ancient generals come from...