Essays

by Plutarch, Robin Waterfield (translator)

Plutarch of Chaeronea, suggests Ian Kidd in his introduction to this superb selection, "has a strong claim to be regarded as the best essayist of the Graeco-Roman world".

Born at the very heart of Greece - between Athens and Apollo's shrine at Delphi - in the mid-40s of the first century AD, Plutarch combined an intense love of his locality and family with a cosmopolitan outlook that embraced the whole Roman Empire. His enclyclopaedic writings form a treasure trove of ancient wisdom, yet his strong religious feelings and deeply humanist temper give them all a compelling and individual voice. Whether he is offering abstract speculation or practical ethics, fresh and arresting reflections on anger and flattery, military versus intellectual glory or the reasoning powers of animals, Plutarch's personality and charm constantly shine through. Above all, concludes Kidd, his essays remain magnificently readable, works that "can still entertain, instruct, stimulate and educate us and also introduce us to one of the most attractive characters in classical literature".

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

Paperback

First published April 6, 1993

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

[7jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of ten essays, personal insights into moral subjects, Plutarch was a Greece-born man who was well-educated and traveled widely, and highly regarded until 19th century, when the lack of accuracy in his historical writings pulled also the not-so ones down. He used a variety of writing styles and levels of seriousness, using his collection of sayings-notebook, life knowledge, and being a voracious reader to create great essays. Of course, some of his opinions (and opinions being of his time) are not necessarily agreed on today, but in most of them they are still quite interesting and worth learning from. His connection to his family, community, and faith (being a priest of Apollo in Delphi, too) were firm.
These essays work in three groupings: philosophical (with some psychology; his philosophy takes influence from many school, but particularly Plato), religion and theology, and wisdom gathered from being curious (like the last essays about animals here).

Some of the essays are such that reader can gather lessons from them, while with others one may be in a more of an observer role.
"On Listening" is a rather brilliant study on what makes a good listener - important in a time when learning happened on the oral teaching level (heard and pondered on) - and would work well with teens and young adults. Listening, but also on how to give feedback, even in just how one sits there; and also in how one takes in the information spoken.
"How to Distinguish a Flatterer From a Friend" is also interesting, especially for those who would be targets for flatterers (rich, powerful, famous...), and it's also a lesson in how to speak frankly in a skillful manner to a friend (and knowing when not).
"On Being Aware of Moral Progress" could work when you are aiming to take on a good habit or get rid of a bad one (like addiction), things like not stopping after a setback, or when friends discourage or give bad advice about it.
The one about whether Athens got more fame from military or intellect exploits is interesting to observe; Plutarch thinks the former is needed to give material to the latter (at least that, there may be other reasons too).
"On the Avoidance of Anger": the author is against even 'good' anger (calmed-mind punishment is better), but gives some ways to cool things down and strengthening patience.
"On Contentment" brought me to this book, and is full of good tips; the state of mind is crucial to it. This one has been popular among some Christian saints (too).
"On God's Slowness to Punish": This could be interesting even when the author obviously doesn't mean the Christian God. Some reasons are what I would consider, but of course not all seem likely to me (like the punishment left to be suffered in guilty one's descendants). The afterlife description is interesting - where he thought Hades would be: around the moon! And also the belief in reincarnation cycle (that one can get free from at some point), didn't know it existed in the author's country's religion.
"On Socrates' Personal Deity" kind of continues a bit on the last parts of the previous essays towards the end especially, but the philosophical discussions here are woven into a (partly historical) plot of overthrowing and killing conquerors of Thebes in 379 BC.
"In Consolation to His Wife" deals with the death of their young daughter - excessive mourning not recommended, calm behavior and fond memories is, and his praises his wife for her restraint. I do think some 'letting it out' would have been good to do at first, just to let the pressure off, but I do agree that excessive mourning (especially in that time period's style) is awkward city.
"On the Use of Reason by 'Irrational' Animals" is a great way to end the book; a funny dialogue between Odysseus on Circe's island and one of his men in pig-form that is allowed to talk like human with him, and who constantly outdos him, ending the essay and talk with an ancient mic-drop sentence that leaves Odysseus stunned and out-clevered XD

So yeah, while not necessarily essential, it has plenty of useful ideas, interesting histroy, quotes, and opinions, and various moods and forms of writing (letters, conversations, speech in Athens), and it all makes the essays a great, informative experience. Very recommended.

Who recommended it to me:a magazine review for a Finnish translation of one of the essays, ‘On Contentment’.

[Massimo Pigliucci · Rating 5 out of 5]

Robin Waterfield has become by far my favorite translator of ancient Greco-Roman texts, and this is a field with a lot of excellent competition! I wish he had tackled the totality of Plutarch's Moral Essays, but this selection is superb. The collection begins with "On listening," a piece that ought to be mandatory reading in an age like ours where everybody talks and nobody pays attention. It is followed by "How to distinguish a flatterer from a friend," again very much useful nowadays, and by "On being aware of moral progress," which discusses how to become a better member of the human cosmopolis. One of my favorite is "On the avoidance of anger," a perfect companion to Seneca's "On anger," arguably the best book ever written on the topic. "In consolation to his wife" is about Plutarch's family loss of their young girl, Timoxena, and it is poignant as well as actually useful. Some entries are a bit strange by modern standards, but fascinating nevertheless, like "On god's slowness to punish," and "On Socrates' personal deity." The book ends with a satire featuring the character of Odysseus: "On the use of reason by 'irrational' animals." If you haven't read Plutarch before, this is an excellent way to begin. If you have, do yourself a favor and get reacquainted with him.

[Fabio Brady · Rating 3 out of 5]

My overall opinion of this collection of essays is positive and I enjoyed many aspects of it. Plutarch's style is one that utilises many anecdotes, quotes, analogies to make his points clear. It's arguing in a way that draws parallels and uses imagery to illustrate his points and to make the reader think, "Ah yes, what Plutarch is saying must be true". It's a very readable style and Plutarch is very good at fashioning many wonderful paragraphs and sentences.

Boeotia (red) within Greece. Home of Plutarch born c. AD 46

I rated it 3* because I found some essays uninteresting like On God's Slowness to Punish and I even skipped On Socrates' Personal Deity. Furthermore, I found some sentences were just too long (many lines long). Most of the essays are serious and make clear arguments however the dialogue between Odysseus and a Pig in On the Use of Reason by 'Irrational Animals' is a fun piece and somewhat different to the others. The Pig Gryllus preferred being an animal, free from "illusions of money" and the obsessions of humans.

Plutarch never really came up with his own ideas. Instead he uses his mastery of rhetoric and expansive knowledge to pull ideas from all schools of thought together (the Stoics, the Epicureans and more). Expect references to many different historical figures but most importantly and abundantly of all: Plato. Each essay has an introduction which is very helpful and explains the context to which Plutarch was writing. Plutarch was a Boeotian (region in central Greece) and had powerful friends in Rome and rivals in Athens which sets the backdrop for many essays. He was also priest of Apollo in Delphi which explains his interest in theological matters too. On reflection, I am very glad to have read this book. There are a few standout essays which are so wise and so wonderfully written.

Down below, I'm going to highlight some meaningful and significant points which interested me or which I found personally quite helpful. I am exluding the essays I didn't enjoy so much such as On the Fame of Athens , On God's Slowness to Punish and On Socrates' Personal Deity and the not-so-serious On the Use of Reason by 'Irrational Animals' . My notes (see below) aren't exhaustive and are mostly for myself so I can come back and read this review for a quick summary.

So anyway, here are my notes:

ON LISTENING

This work, was written to the young man Nicander who was transitioning to manhood.

- Becoming an adult involves a change of ruler [of oneself], from being ruled by others (when a child) to being ruled by reason.

- Nature gave each of us two ears, but one tongue because we should listen more than we speak

- We should pause before replying

- 'Dedicated and genuine listeners' should ignore showy language and extract meaning and what is useful pg. 37

- Lectures are not to be attended for just pleasure and require concentration

- Listen withouth hostility to the speaker

HOW TO DISTINGUISH A FLATTERER FROM A FRIEND

To Syrian prince Philopapus in exile.

- Flatterers are of no use,

'The flatterer is a charmeleon with no consistency in character. I have no need of a friend who changes place when I do and nods in agreement when I do; my shadow is better than that. I need a friend who helps me by telling the truth and having discrimination.'

- Accepting criticisms is productive for friends to mutually improve their characters,

'The most unsuitable behaviour of all is to repay rebuke with rebuke and candour with candour, because it makes tempers rapidly flare and provokes argumentativeness...It is preferable, therefore to let a friend get away with it, when he seems to be telling you off, because if at a later date he goes wrong himself and needs telling off...he is more likely to submit and be open to correction, and see it as a repayment not from angry recrimination but charitable goodwill ' pg 108

He goes on explaining that if we love our friends and want to positively build their character, we shouldn't criticize too harshly,

'The point is that it is more likely to have an effect on someone's character to say "you didn't know" rather than "you acted disgracefully"' Pg 110

This stands out to me because I know, when someone criticizes something I have said or done in a way that makes me feel bad, I often snap or retort. In most cases, these criticisms are valid and I have said something unhelpful, but the way they are often delivered to me aren't friendly or positive to my character and as Plutarch explains, they are less likely to be accepted. Being honest and criticising our loved ones should come from a place of love and improving character and not "flaring tempers".

ON BEING AWARE OF MORAL PROGRESS

Here are some signs someone is making philosophical progress:

- When someone talks about his defects and does not hide his iniquity and begs for someone to reprimand him. Plutarch quotes Diogenes:

'we ought to find either a proper friend or a fervent enemy so that one way or another - either by being reuked or by being treated - he might steer clear of badness.' pg 137

- Read this and think of the people who do the opposite,

'Reasonableness and civility during discussions, neither embarking on conversations competitively nor ending them in anger, neither crowing if an argument is won nor sulking if it is lost - all this is the behaviour of someone is progressing nicely' pg 133

- Spurning bribes and not boasting about good deeds,

'Beginners in philosphy tend to look for ways of speaking which will enhance their reputation' pg 130

- 'dislike actual iniquity more than an adverse reputation' pg 138

- A person progressing doesn't deny their defects,

'the more a person denies a defect, the more he immerses and imprisons himself in the vice. It is obvious that anyone who is poor, but pretends to be rich, increases his poverty by his masquerade' pg 138

ON THE AVOIDANCE OF ANGER

- Anger is irrational, 'Not magnificent or manly, and that it has neither dignity nor grandeur' pg 184

- Anger comes from pain,

'So it is from mental pain and suffering that anger arises, thanks above all to weakness; and whoever said that anger is, as it were, the mind's sinews was wrong: it is straining and spraining of a mind being unduly dislocated in the course of its defensive impulses.' Pg 185

- Those discontented by and critical over simple things like if one's food is "under-seasoned" create for their temper, 'the kind of raw and oozing condition which a chronic cough causes', and therefore, 'we must train the body, by means of frugality, to be self sufficient and hence easily pleased, because people who want little are seldom disappointed' pg 194

ON CONTENTMENT

- There is no job or fortune that grants contentment,

'There are people who think that freedom from distress resides in one way of life in particular - for instance, in farming or kingship'

'[Exchanging one way of life for another] does not eradicate from the mind the factors which make it distressed or disturbed' pg 214

'Plato compared life to a game of dice in which it is not just important to throw something appropriate, but also to make good use of it however the throw turns out.'

'But it is our job to accomodate ourselves to whatever fortune deals us and to allocate everything to a place where, as each situation arises, if it is congruent, we can maximise its benefit, and if it is unwelcome, we can minimize its harm.' pg 216

- Plutarch writes that we overlook the good parts in our lives,

'why, my friend, do you obsessively contemplate your own weakness...but fail to apply your mind to the good things you have'. pg 220

- 'Another thing that is important for contentment is to restrict one’s inspection as much as possible
to oneself' pg 222

- We should not bully ourselves for not being someone we are not and we can't be good at everything,

'We do not expect a vine to produce figs or an olive to produce grapes, yet if we don’t have the advantages of both plutocrats and scholars, military commanders and philosophers…all at once, we bully ourselves and despise ourselves.' pg 228

- Fortune can only do so much. Our attitude to life, the most important stuff, is down to us and cannot be taken away,

'The point is that fortune can make us fall ill can deprive us of our wealth can ruin our relationship with the people or the king but they cannot make someone who is good, brave and high minded into a bad, cowardly mean-spirited, petty and spiteful person and it cannot deprive us of the permanent presence of an attitude towards life.' pg 234

IN CONSOLATION TO HIS WIFE

This is a truly moving and heartfelt letter to his wife after the death of their baby daughter Timoxena.

- Plutarch warns her about consigning the memory of his daughter 'to oblivion along with our distress.' This is because she may become nervous recalling their beautiful daughter in future and avoid doing so as thoughts of distress would be its companion.

-

'Our daughter was the sweetest thing in the world to hug and watch and listen to, and by the same token she must remain and live on in our thoughts, and bring not just more, but a great deal more pleasure than distress pg 366

- Plutarch writes about the importance of maintaining a healthy regimen to stop grief from establishing itself,

'Mental suffering ought to be helped by physical fitness. Mental distress abates and subsides in physical calm' pg 369

- This loss was a painful one, but letting it become a long-term deep suffering would lead them to wish she was never born.

'We will seem to regret that our child was ever born if we find more to complain about now than in the situation before her birth'. pg 370

- The two years she was alive brought them much happiness; an all too brief period Plutarch is grateful for.

'The good was brief, but should not therefore be regarded as a long-term bad influence; and we not should be ungrateful for what we have received just because our further hopes [of her growing up] were dashed by fortune'. pg 371

- Plutarch discourages whingeing,

'And that is the condition we should avoid - the syndrome of whingeing if the book of our life has a single smudge while every other page is perfectly clean'.

END

[Marcos Augusto · Rating 4 out of 5]

Plutarch’s surviving writings on ethical, religious, physical, political, and literary topics are collectively known as the Moralia, or Ethica, and amount to more than 60 essays cast mainly in the form of dialogues or diatribes. The former vary from a collection of set speeches to informal conversation pieces set among members of Plutarch’s family circle; the date and dramatic occasion are rarely indicated. The diatribes, which often show the influence of seriocomic writings of the 3rd-century-bce satirist Menippus, are simple and vigorous. The literary value of both is enhanced by the frequent quotation of Greek poems, especially verses of Euripides and other dramatists.

The two educational works “How a Young Man Ought to Hear Poetry” (which qualifies the old Platonic objection to poetry) and “How to Listen,” together with the pseudo-Plutarchean treatise “On the Education of Children,” were popular and influential during the Renaissance. In the treatise on moral virtue Plutarch discusses how virtue must subordinate unreason to reason within the soul, a theme developed in many other of the works dealing with popular ethical problems; those adduce examples from the lives of famous men and contain sound but unoriginal moralizing. Among them are “Vice and Virtue,” “How to Recognize Progress in Virtue”, “How to Distinguish a Flatterer from a Friend,” “On Having Many Friends,” and “On Fortune.” Another group of a rhetorical and epideictic character includes the historical essays “On the Fortune of Alexander,” “On the Fortune of the Romans,” and “Whether the Athenians Were More Famous in War or in Wisdom”; those resemble the traditional topics of declamation, and parallel to them are “Whether Water or Fire Is More Useful,” “Whether Virtue Can Be Taught,” and “Whether Mental or Bodily Afflictions Are the Worse.”

Plutarch’s interest in animals and their minds surfaces in four essays: two called “On Eating Flesh,” “Whether Land or Sea Animals Are More Intelligent” (a question that receives no clear answer), and “Gryllus” (also called “Do Animals Reason?”). “Gryllus” is an entertaining dialogue set on Circe’s island in which a pig, one of Odysseus’s transformed companions, attacks the Stoic argument denying reason to animals and convinces Odysseus of the moral superiority of many animals over humans. The tenets of the philosophical schools are the subject of several essays—for instance, “Platonic Questions,” “On the Creation of the Soul in the Timaeus” (expounding Plutarch’s views about Plato’s teaching on the soul), “Against Colotes” (attacking Epicurean views), and “On the Impossibility of Living Pleasurably According to Epicurus’s Teaching"; several other essays criticize Stoic doctrines. Physical and medical problems are discussed in “Precepts on Health,” “On the Face of the Moon’s Disk,” and “On Primary Cold” (which argues that cold is something real, not the mere absence of warmth).

The treatises dealing with political issues are of especial interest. “Political Precepts” is an enlightening account of political life in contemporary Greece; in “Whether a Man Should Engage in Politics When Old,” Plutarch urged his friend Euphanes to continue in public life at Athens; Stoic ideas appear in the short work “To the Unlearned Ruler” and the fragmentary argument that “The Philosopher Should Converse Especially with Princes”; in “The One, the Many, and the Few in Government” the author (who may not be Plutarch) favours monarchy. The virtues of family life are treated in “On Brotherly Love,” “On the Love of One’s Offspring,” and “Conjugal Precepts”; with the Consolatio to his wife goes the fine essay “On Exile”; the Amatorius is a discussion of love, which favours heterosexual relationships.

Plutarch’s interest in religious history and antiquarian problems can be seen in a group of striking essays, the early “Daemon of Socrates,” and three later works concerning Delphi, “On the Failure of the Oracles,” in which the decline of the oracle is linked with the decline in the population, “On the E at Delphi,” interpreting the word EI at the temple entrance, and “On the Pythian Responses,” seeking to reestablish belief in the oracle. Contemporary with those is “On Isis and Osiris,” with its mystical tones. “Convivial Questions” (nine books) and “Greek and Roman Questions” assembled a vast collection of antiquarian lore; “On the Malignity of Herodotus” displays the local patriotism of a Boeotian; and the “Comparison of Aristophanes and Menander” prefers Menander for moral reasons.

[Philip · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was one of the first books I put on my to-read shelf here on goodreads. I think I added it in 2007 when I first joined the site. It was recommended to me by a beloved college professor. He said he thought I'd like it, and Plutarch was often overlooked in favor of the Platos, Socrates, Aristotles, Marcus Aureliuses, etc, etc... Just like Hollywood, it's not enough to be a Star - one has to be a SUPER Star to be noticed. So, I started in 2005, but then never got completely into it and life pushed it to the side. There's a chance I even took it off my goodreads shelf. I'll have to go back and look.

But it was always there. On a bookshelf. On a side stand. One of the many intending on being read.

Then I read John Adams brag about reading Plutarch when he was nine. So, I decided to foist this upon Eleanor. I had been pushing her in her readings - we would often alternate between fun, and challenging. So, I went for challenging. She was 11... so I guess Adams ultimately won. And I take it he read it on his own. ...And probably in Greek... Plutarch's essay, "On Contentment" could probably come in handy here, but I'm just going to scowl in my mind at John Adams and his over-achieving personality. I bet he was a real buzzkill at parties. (I just read that paragraph to Liz, and she said, "Sure he was great, but did he have any friends?")

Eleanor's not here yet. I'm going to bring her by after jotting down my initial thoughts. I think she might be brutal, though. One star... Who knows?

Here are our star-ratings for each essay. I'm rating on personal enjoyment, edification, and readability... But you could poke holes in this rating system as inconsistent and capricious if you've got the time to do so:

Plutarch's Essays:

On Listening:

Dad's Rating: ★★★★★ Eleanor's Rating: ★★★

My pages for each of these are filled with many notes, but copious amounts of bracketing. There is no way I can block quote everything (or close to everything) I want to draw attention to. I'm going to say a few things, and then invite Eleanor to say a few things as well... But no doubt I'm going to get worn out early.

I loved this one. I remember reading it (I think) to you at the park with the splash pad. It was nice, because even though Plutarch is challenging, this essay was especially easy to follow. I like the idea that schools offer speech classes, but perhaps preceding that, they should offer listening classes. I'm not joking when I say schools would be well served to attempt this. ...Both now, and say... 2000 years ago...

...described the terrible behavior of some of the students in his class: 'some of them arriving late; some constantly signaling and passing messages about more exciting matters; some standing and posing like statues with arms crossed, or picking their noses; others sitting in general confusion, or forcibly holding down the more enthusiastic; some alleviating their boredom by counting newcomers, staring blankly out the window or gossiping with a neighbor; some applauding inanely; or finally stamping out, drawing others in their trail.'

Libanius, 4th Century (As found in Ian Kidd's introduction to Plutarch's "On Listening.")

#KidsTheseDaysKidsThoseDays

I thought the essay was good both in the abstract, and for practical advice.

Eleanor - who joined later: I think this was a three. I think a lot of these are 3 with a couple that are 1 or 2, and a couple that are 4. I think you might have a few that are five. Another thing is that we read some of these a long time ago, so it's tough to go back and review them now. Also, you looked back through the book, and called me out here way after that.

Philip: I'm not going to go back an edit anything Eleanor says, or question her on any of it. We're just going to keep going. I'll type up all her thoughts on the essay before I read her mine, though. So you're reading this a bit out of order.

How To Distinguish A Flatterer From A Friend:

Dad's Rating: ★★★★★ Eleanor's Rating: ★★★★

One thing from both this and the essay that preceded it is how timeless some of these problems are, no?

Plutarch's little anecdotes are fun:

...Carneades used to say that the sons of wealthy men and of kings learn nothing but horsemanship, and that the reason they learn nothing else properly and well is that while their teacher flatters them with compliments during their lessons and their wrestling opponent submits to them, their horse neither knows nor cares who is an ordinary citizen or who is a political leader, who is rich or who is poor, and simply bucks off all incompetent riders.

Really - again - the whole essay is good, and worthwhile.

Eleanor: I think you read this one to me at the park with the splash pad, and not the other one. I remember biking down there in December, and you reading it to me on the swings. I also got more out of that one then On Listening. One thing that I did think was funny was that I thought it seemed more like a guide to becoming a believable flatterer than anything else.

Dad: I wasn't going to say anything, but I'm over here laughing because you're right. It was like those D.A.R.E. lessons I got as a kid that taught all the school kids where the drugs were being sold. I was so naïve until those.

Eleanor: I think we had this conversation before, but wanted to make sure it made it into the review, because I thought it was funny.


On Being Aware of Moral Progress:

Dad's Rating: ★★★ Eleanor's Rating: ★★

We'll see if Eleanor has anything to say about this one. Maybe I should have taken better notes back in 2020 - or whenever we read this one - but I found it somewhat forgettable.

Eleanor: Well, I was going to say 3, but maybe 2 would be a better rating, since we completely forgot about this one the other day... I only remember one thing from it.

Dad: What do you remember?

Eleanor: The fitting the line to the stone, and not the stone to the line.

Dad: I don't remember that at all.

Eleanor: Like... if you're reviewing a book, but didn't read the book or know what the book was about, and just hoped the review fit the book. Rather than reading the book, and fitting the book to the review.

Dad: Maybe I should bump mine down to two for this one as well.

Whether Military or Intellectual Exploits Have Brought Athens More Fame:

Dad's Rating: ★ Eleanor's Rating: ★

I'm sure it was great, and important back in the day, and historians can tell me why it matters... but this one really dates itself, lol.

Eleanor: This essay wasn't really applicable life today. Most of it was about how pictures were more useful than words, which for me is not the case. I can understand how actions are more useful than words, but pictures, not so much. It depends on who you are.

On the Avoidance of Anger:

Dad's Rating: ★★★★★ Eleanor's Rating: ★★★

Another timeless classic. My absolute, absolute favorite line comes from this one:

“And if one also keeps reiterating Plato’s saying, ‘Am I not like that too?’, he will turn his thinking inward instead of outward, and will interrupt his complaining with caution, and will consequently not employ a great deal of righteous indignation towards others when he sees that he himself requires a lot of forbearance.”

This quote kindof prompted me to learn David Bazan's song, People (Here's my version, for those who care.)

So many times I could write, "or this," "or this," "or this..." for this one... But here's just one more:

Being easy to please, on the other hand, is either a help or an embellishment or a delight, and its gentleness overcomes anger and discontent of all kinds. Consider Euclides, for instance: when his brother ended an argument by saying, 'I'll get my own back on you, if it's the last thing I do', Euclides replied, 'I'll win you over, if it's the last thing I do', and immediately made him alter course and change his mind.

A lot of gold in this one. Stuff to cling to when you get dealt a raw hand.

Eleanor: I got a few things out of this one. I remember the part about how parents shouldn't get too upset when kids don't want to tell them things. And I remember (I think it was in this one, anyway) how it was saying even if you think something bad won't happen, it might happen anyway.


On Contentment:

Dad's Rating: ★★★★★ Eleanor's Rating: ★★★

Perhaps C.S. Lewis was looking back on Plutarch when he listed ambition as a vice. On Contentment was another that is worthwhile, even if you don't pick up the book in its entirety.

Eleanor: I feel like I'm between 3 and 4 for this one. I feel like there was a lot I remembered for a long time in this one, but now it's all fading. But there is one thing I remember. I remember where someone saw a king being carried in a chair - and they wanted to be carried in the chair. But then they thought about the people carrying the king.

Then again, sometimes I think this will make you less happy. You'll be like... yeah... but I still want to be in the chair rather than standing here on the ground.

On God's Slowness to Punish:

Dad's Rating: ★★★ Eleanor's Rating: ★★★

I was going through something when I read this one, so maybe that's why my memories of it are muddied. I did think again of C.S. Lewis - "I don't have a soul. I am a soul." And there are a couple long quotes I could pull, but we're going to settle for just one:

There are two possible results of this: either his nature completely obliterates and avoids the hereditary blemish of iniquity, or it deceptively conceals its wickedness for a long time in a sheath, as it were. And we are the objects of the deception: we eventually recognize his iniquity only when we have been, so to speak, physically struck or hurt by any of his crimes. Or rather, we usually assume that it is the committing of a crime that makes a person a criminal, and the act of rape that makes a person immoral, and running away that makes a person a coward - which is equivalent to thinking that scorpions grow a sting only when they strike and that vipers gain their poison only when they bite. This is stupid. The beginning of badness and the eruption of badness are not simultaneous, but any bad person carries his iniquity with him from the start: once a thief obtains the opportunity and the ability, he puts his thieving into practice, and the same goes for a tyrant and his lawlessness.

Eleanor: I feel like I remembered a lot of the stories, but not as much about what it was teaching. I also can remember a lot of connections we made to books and movies, but I'm not convinced that this is what Plutarch was trying to do, though.

On Socrates' Personal Deity:

Dad's Rating: ★★★★ Eleanor's Rating: ★★

Ok ok ok... I expected this one to be boring. And it was, at times - but I was shocked at the actual topic - which was a coup, and not really about Socrates' Personal Deity at all... It was about a coup, where a few guys tricked the leaders of a super-powerful nation into getting drunk at a party, and then they just like... killed them all and took over and it worked.

There: spoiled it for you.

One guy got an urgent warning letter that he didn't open, because.... you know... partying... Let's not ruin it.

The other thing that stuck with me in this one was when one guy asked another guy something like, "What's the oddest thing you've seen in your travels." And his response was, "An old tyrant." ...Think about it.

Oh OH OH!!! And this one:

Kindness requires a recipient just as much as it requires a donor: where its excellence is concerned, it is incomplete without both of them. Anyone who refuses to accept kindness, when it is offered cleanly like a well-thrown ball, lets it fall to the ground incomplete and negates its excellence.

Eleanor: I felt like: maybe for this one because it was more recent... but I had to have every other paragraph explained to me. Again... I didn't get much of what they were trying to teach. The main thing I got out of it was that governments aren't always fair and people don't usually stand up to them.

Dad: Yeah - let me add that my summary edits out most of what I considered the "boring" parts, and that I had to reread several parts for myself as well. It was nice having you around, because I could pretend that I was reading it for your sake to explain it to you, when in truth, I was trying to piece some of those passages together on my own as well.

Eleanor: I did enjoy the story, and I thought it was funny when it was going on, and the government actually fell for it. Especially the part about the warning letter. I also remember the quote about kindness now that you mention it.

In Consolation to His Wife:

Dad's Rating: ★★★★★ Eleanor's Rating: ★★★★

This one is short, but packs a punch. Plutarch lost his two-year-old daughter while he was away at a speaking engagement. It's only eight pages. It's interesting that the introduction discusses stock themes, and there's a debate over whether he intended it for publication or not. Either way, it's good. And a reminder that we all carry scars, or will.

Eleanor: I'd say four stars. I thought it would be really sad, and it was - just how dad and I felt about "On Socrates' Personal Deity" being boring - it was sad, but there were times we laughed about things - like the cat in the house, or how whinging is pronounced - that kind of broke the sadness up a bit. Also, there was one funny story (also kind of a sad story) near the beginning about the girl giving her toys to her wet nurse to be fed. The one thing I did get out of it, though - that was actually about what Plutarch was trying to teach is that you shouldn't block off sad memories just because they're sad. You should remember the times that they happened as happy times, rather than wishing they hadn't happened at all. That is the pursuit of the truth. If they were happy: call them happy.


On the Use of Reason by 'Irrational' Animals:

Dad's Rating: ★★★★★ Eleanor's Rating: ★★★★

I went into this one expecting it to be a one-star snooze-fest, but it was actually quite good and fun. The setting is on Circe's island, and Odysseus is about to get the animals changed back to humans. But having been both, it turns out a dog's life ain't so bad after all.

Eleanor: I'd also give this one four stars. There were some pretty strong debates in this one, such as how we say that people are lion-hearted, but never say that lions are human-hearted. And how animals don't spend time begging for mercy. ...Then again, they could be begging for mercy, but maybe we just don't understand what they're saying.

Also, there's an on-going debate at our house about how much the cats can understand us, and make facial expressions.


Dad: Thank you, thank you, thank you Eleanor. Thank you for reading this along with me for so long. You're in for a couple fun books now - but rest assured, we're going to come back to books like this again at some point. Life is always a pursuit of truth, and this keeps you on that pursuit.

Eleanor: No problem. I definetely think you liked it more than me. Now, I want to figure a couple things out before I say how many stars we should give it.

Dad: Okay.

Eleanor: What were all my ratings?

Dad (goes back to check): (Gives them).

Eleanor: Okay. Now yours.

Dad (goes back to check): (Gives them).

Eleanor: Okay. So, our average is 3.5 stars. It's a four star rating over all. My average was 2.9 and your average 4.1. Also, did you know what I was doing?

Dad: I did.

Eleanor: I thought you might.

Dad: I'm glad it came out like that. I already put 4 stars at the top of the review.

Eleanor: That's perfect then.

Dad: It feels a little inflated, since you gave it a rating in the twos... but really, really high twos.

Eleanor: Yeah - I mean, I figured it would turn out like that. I thought overall my rating would be three stars. Yours was right around where I thought it would be. Also, your point one in your four probably made mine a three.

Dad: Well, you can also go and rate it on your account, if you want. I just saw today that it was still on your currently reading shelf.

Eleanor: Sounds good! I'll go move it over. Three stars!

[Micah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've had this on my shelf for probably like two years now and have finally gotten to finishing it. In summary it's fantastic. if you read anything from it at least read 'on listening'.

Many, if not all the essays have something that you can take away from it despite being written like 2000 years ago. I don't think I've enjoyed a book this much in a while.

[BJ Richardson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This collection of Essays and letters is a mixed bag. I wouldn't necessarily go here for philosophical erudition, but it definitely opens up insights into the first century Greek mind. Some of the essays border on brilliance, others on boredom. In all, this was worth the read, but I think I would much rather stick to Plutarch's Lives. This does, however, help open up the mind of the author of those lives and helps understand his background and worldview when presenting them.

[James Carrigy · Rating 4 out of 5]

8/10

Favourite essay: "On Contentment"

A series of candid and personal philosophical examinations, which also has the hero of the Odyessy debate with a talking pig.

[Tyler · Rating 5 out of 5]

All but one of these essays are timeless in vision and scope, IMO. I’m excited to read more of Plutarch, especially knowing the best is yet to come with his books.

[Oliver Bateman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great stuff here. Robin Waterfield's translation does justice to Plutarch's rambling-yet-intricate style, and some of the selections on practical ethics ("On Listening," "How to Distinguish a Flatterer from a Friend," "On the Avoidance of Anger," "On Contentment") far outstrip modern therapeutic offerings that purport to deal with similar topics.

Plutarch and his notebooks, his "commonplace books," make for fun reading - he's always dumping the same stories into his material, often with key details changed for dramatic effect, in order to persuade readers via anecdote. This "cut-up" method precedes his distant disciple Montaigne by many centuries, and the work of selective repetition is highly effective: the mind begins to process these paragraphs in a single glimpse ("oh yes, there's that story about Archias refusing to read a note from a messenger about his impending doom, because he's partying tonight and 'urgent business can wait until tomorrow").

More than that, Plutarch serves as a great example of "splitting the difference" to reach a mass audience: he'll merge elements of the disparate Greek schools of philosophy into a single potent brew, in the process reminding us that a) the notorious schisms among these groups were less pronounced in general than they were among their leading philosophers specifically; and b) the Epicureans, Stoics, Cynics, Peripatetics, Academics, and Skeptics agreed on many key points.

[Jennifer dixon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my favorite of all of Plutarch's works. And this traslation really makes it accessable. His pithy insights and humorous examples make you smile, but he does impart some very basic truths. I read "On Compassion" while going thru a really rough time in my life and found it comforting and inspirational. This is a book I keep on my top shelf to pick up when I need a lift.

[Brackney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Plutarch's "Lives" may be more well-known, but I think his essays are his most valuable work. Plutarch is to the ancient world as Montaigne is to the modern: a humane, catholic thinker whose realism is balanced by compassion. His essay on education is still one of the best, and his common sense stands the test of time and shows how little humans have changed through the course of history.

[Samuel Massicotte · Rating 3 out of 5]

The essays of Plutarch is a collection of small essays written by famed philosopher Plutarch. Being more or less familiar with writers of roman antiquity, having read works made by Epictetus, Cicero and others, I was pleasantly surprised by the variety of topics Plutarch covered. What makes Plutarch different from other philosophers of his time, is his sheer humility. He does not ascribe himself to one specific philosophy, one way of thinking, or even one ideology. Rather, he explores the topic for himself, recognizing for himself the multitude of possible approaches for any given subjects. He then selects those he deems more reasonable, which alters from one subject to another, and ascribes his own interpretation of it. He was interested in many different subjects, and philosophy was for him a way to analyze a topic with carefulness and prudence. Sharing with other philosophers of his time a style which I found familiar, he nonetheless distinguishes himself by adding some action in his dialogue. I found this work on the whole very soothing, although some of his beliefs I found pretty ridiculous in itself. In many ways, he reminded me of Montaigne, or it would rather be proper to say that Montaigne was in some sense inspired by philosophers such as Plutarch and others of the same style. Anecdotal evidence is central evidence when it comes to proving or disproving a theory or hypothesis, however disbelieving the anecdote actually is. Supernatural anecdotal evidence, although not taking center-staged, is judged as being on the same level of credibility as deductive methods. All in all, I conclude that Plutarch was a very wise and humble man, who did not jump on bandwagons of religious beliefs, but rather took philosophical subjects in a piece-meal manner, all the while remaining prudent not to make too grand assumptions. It really seems like he was knowledgeable of many different areas and domains of philosophy, which is not all-too surprising given the era he was presiding in. I very much appreciated reading him, and his thoughts elucidated much of the common beliefs of his time, some being more wild than others. What was believed to be “common sense” is often revealed to be wrong, while other “wild” beliefs are proven true over time. Although these kinds of antiquated works might not be the most relevant in our advanced scientific age, they still allow us to appreciate the progress we’ve established for determining what beliefs are actually justified, and what others are less so. To understand history is also to understand what not to do, and learn from how our ancestors perceived and thought to understand the world. If it wasn’t for writers like Plutarch to reflect and discuss and question beliefs.

[Paul Gosselin · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's some interesting reading here, though I have to admit I skipped most of the introductions. The objective for such introductions seem to be an overriding urge to hand-hold readers and point them in a certain, specific direction. In such matters, I think a direct, unfiltered approach is best first, though AFTER reading Plutarch himself, then a little additional information can be gleaned from the introductions. CS Lewis pretty much nails this in my view when he says:

«There is a strange idea abroad that in every subject the ancient books should be read only by the professionals, and that the amateur should content himself with the modern books. Thus I have found as a tutor in English Literature that if the average student wants to find out something about Platonism, the very last thing he thinks of doing is to take a translation of Plato off the library shelf and read the Symposium. He would rather read some dreary modern book ten times as long, all about “isms” and influences and only once in twelve pages telling him what Plato actually said. The error is rather an amiable one, for it springs from humility. The student is half afraid to meet one of the great philosophers face to face. He feels himself inadequate and thinks he will not understand him. But if he only knew, the great man, just because of his greatness, is much more intelligible than his modern commentator. (...) This mistaken preference for the modern books and this shyness of the old ones is nowhere more rampant than in theology. Wherever you find a little study circle of Christian laity you can be almost certain that they are studying not St. Luke or St. Paul or St. Augustine or Thomas Aquinas or Hooker or Butler, but M. Berdyaev or M. Maritain or M. Niebuhr or Miss Sayers or even myself.»*
(C.S. Lewis - On Reading Old Books – 1944)

The essay on flatters made me happy that I'm not in such a position of power or influence to have to screen friends in such a manner. The essay on rationality in animals was odd. I found the essay on contentment most interesting, but it would seem one would have to "freeze-dry" all emotion to actually implement Plutarch's advice.

[Rahul Chandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

There’s 10 essays in this book, and as a disclaimer, I read 6 of them, and I’m not particularly interested in the others, so marking it as read.

Overall, I don’t think it’s anything particularly unique, but there were a few essays that I thought were quite nice, and did make a more lasting impression on me.

The main one I really enjoyed is his essay on anger. I liked the perspective and rather than just telling someone to not get angry, instead he begins by telling them to just stall the anger for a bit. “If they’re guilty now, they’ll be guilty tomorrow, so what’s the harm in stalling the anger.” This is actually a take I haven’t seen before, and I can see how it can actually be effective.

I also liked that he brings up “righteous indignation,” as he calls it, but shows that it’s still not the correct feeling to have, because in the end, it’s your own fault for having so much faith in another fallible person. And think about how many times you’ve let others down.

Other stand out essays are his essays on contentment(nothing too unique here, it’s the usual “don’t get too attached” spiel, but there’s a few good analogies), and his essay on how to know if you’re making progress.


I will say that the translator’s intro to the essays are sometimes a bit long and confusing — I still don’t really see that much of a difference between Plutarch’s platonism and just vanilla stoicism? But perhaps it’s a skill issue.

[Jonathan Morrow · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kind of a mixed bag, but I guess that's to be expected from a random collection of essays and letters. Some of them are not interesting at all, but a few are great. I found the "On Listening" essay particularly enjoyable. I've never seen any kind of instructional guide for *attending* scientific talks, and his advice makes a lot of sense. I'm considering updating this a bit and teaching it to my trainees. I know Plutarch's essays aren't even popular with classicists any more, but if you like reading ancient literature, I'd say this one is worth a look.

[Larry (LPosse1) · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading this Penguin Classic of Plutarch’s moral essays, I could be ready to tackle Plutarch Lives. This volume was translated by one of my favorite classical writers Robin Waterfield. To bad this collection is not more widely read.
This book was a deep dive into the world of ancient moral Philosophy. I enjoyed it and found the ancient religious connections to be so informative of the times. Thank you to the monks of yore for painstakingly transcribing Plutarch’s works so we can enjoy them today

[Matthew Rodriguez · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had no issues with the translation. As to the works themselves, many of them were philosophically/ethically interesting, but some of them contained so many ancient references such that they were a little hard to get through and didn’t feel particularly useful to a modern.

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved every minute of this book. Plutarch is always a breath of fresh air. The essays ‘On Listening’ and ‘On Socrates’ personal deity are particularly good

[Jasmine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Of particular interest was Plutarch's letter to his wife on the loss of their little daughter. Brought tears to my eyes and stayed with me after. Most moving.

[Luke Merrick · Rating 2 out of 5]

A wonderful collection of essays by Plutarch. His writings offer a window into the first century mindset, and can be exceptionally helpful when contrasted with religious texts such as the bible which was in formation during Plutarch's lifetime. Remarkably, the ancient secular intellectual closely resembles a modern secularist in the contemporary west.

I enjoyed his final essay in Odysseus talking to Gryppus, a former human converted to a pig. There were also some good philosophical thoughts here and there. For the most part though I found his writing to be tedious and rather straightforward.

I would recommend this book to anyone wanting to understand the first century Greek and Roman thinker.

[Sally]

"I bought this to read “On Contentment” which is one of Plutarch’s best essays. I think we can learn a lot from his writing style, maybe as much as we can from his philosophy. Notice how it weaves anecdotes and examples and quotes seamlessly into the page without making it feel heavy or unoriginal. His translator put it best when he said that Plutarch doesn’t set out to convince through a long logical argument that some position is correct. Instead, Plutarch uses his strong sense of empathy and example to get you to admit that you already believed it. This makes Plutarch easy to read because rather than following where he is going, you arrive there together, having reached the destination through compromise and shared understanding. Personally, I enjoyed On Sparta a little better but both are good to have."

from http://www.ryanholiday.net/reading-li...
August 4, 2009

[Daniel Wright]

On Listening
How to Distinguish a Flatterer from a Friend
On Being Aware of Moral Progress

Whether Military or Intellectual Exploits Have Bought Athens More Fame

On the Avoidance of Anger
On Contentment

On God's Slowness to Punish
On Socrates' Personal Deity
In Consolation to His Wife

On the Use of Reason by 'Irrational' Animals

[Gardner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lesser known than the Lives, but no less great. I'm particularly fond of the essay on Listening, which I haven't truly made my own yet.

[Jeff Wills · Rating 4 out of 5]

A real moral education.

[Glen · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved this