A Versatile Gentleman

Plutarch was a brilliant Platonist, an erudite historian, a gifted author of highly polished literary dialogues, a priest of Apollo at Delphi, and a devoted politician in his hometown Chaeronea. He felt confident in the most technical and specialized discussions, yet was not afraid of rhetorical generalizations. In his voluminous oeuvre, he appears as a sharp polemicist and a loving father, an ardent pupil but also a kind, inspiring teacher, a sober historian and a teller of wondrous tales. In view of all these different personae, erudite versatility is without any doubt a major characteristic of Plutarch’s works. A Versatile Gentleman is dedicated to Luc Van der Stockt, professor emeritus of Greek language and literature at KU Leuven and a truly versatile gentleman. The volume aims to do justice to his and Plutarch’s versatility by discussing the Chaeronean from many different angles. As such, it sheds new light on the coherence of, and the tensions in, Plutarch’s thinking and writing.

This publication is GPRC-labeled (Guaranteed Peer-Reviewed Content).

"A Versatile Gentleman" was edited by Jan Opsomer, Geert Roskam and Frances B. Titchener.

Jan Opsomer is Professor of Ancient Philosophy at the University of Leuven.

Geert Roskam is Professor of Greek language and literature at KU Leuven.

Yes, "A Versatile Gentleman" is part of the "Plutarchea Hypomnemata" series.

The series Plutarchea Hypomnemata intends to further the scholarly study of, and international dialogue on, this rich Corpus Plutarcheum. To that end it welcomes monographs that explore specific themes developed in one or more Plutarchan writings, offer a thorough interpretation of and/or commentary on a particular text, or discuss various aspects of Plutarch's authorial activity, philosophical thinking, religious ideas, political convictions, and attitude towards history, science, and the arts. We also welcome studies that situate him in broader ideological and literary contexts (such as the so-called ‘Second Sophistic', ‘Middle Platonism', ancient biography) and/or in a contemporary political, social, and religious context.

Volumes in this series meet the highest scholarly standards and contribute significantly to the field of Plutarch studies. Specifically, they raise innovative questions while firmly grounded in sound methodology; they reach well-argued and original conclusions; and they are disseminated in the appropriate scientific format. This overall quality is guaranteed by international peer review.

Editorial Board

Jan Opsomer (KU Leuven), Geert Roskam (KU Leuven), Frances Titchener (Utah State University, Logan), Luc Van der Stockt † (KU Leuven)

Proposals

Proposals and enquiries can be sent to Geert Roskam. Please send a preliminary abstract (1-2 pp.) and a short bio. Upon approval of this abstract, the full manuscript will be submitted to international peer review. Two peer reviewers will be asked for expert advice, three in case of conflicting reports. At least one peer reviewer is not a member of the editorial or advisory board.

Please make use of the submission form to present your manuscript or proposal to our board.
Authors interested in Open Access can consult the available funding options.

Links & Resources

Introduction
F.B. TITCHENER

I. Plutarch's Versatile Philosophy
Plutarch the Philosopher and Plutarch the Historian on Apatheia
JOHN DILLON

The Dividing Line: Theological/Religious Arguments in Plutarch's Anti-Stoic Polemics
RAINER HIRSCH-LUIPOLD

The Cruel Consistency of De sera numinis vindicta
JAN OPSOMER

Psychē in Plutarch's Works
PAOLA VOLPE CACCIATORE

II. Literary Versatility
Plutarch's Simonides: A Versatile Gentleman?
EWEN BOWIE

Plutarch's Flawed Characters: The Personae of the Dialogues
FREDERICK E. BRENK

Dionysus and the Structure of Plutarch's Table Talk
JUDITH MOSSMAN

Tragic Colouring in Plutarch
CHRISTOPHER PELLING

III. The Versatile World of the Lives
The Serio-Comic Life of Antony
MARK BECK

The Nature of Virtue and the Need for Self-Knowledge in Plutarch's Demosthenes-Cicero
JEFFREY BENEKER

“This Topic Belongs to Another Kind of Writing”: The Digressions in Plutarch's Life of Coriolanus
G. ROSKAM -; S. VERDEGEM

Sulla's Three-Thousand-νοῦμμοι Apartment: Plutarch's Problematic Code-Switching
PHILIP A. STADTER

IV. A Versatile Paideia
Who Was Eucles? Plutarch and His Sources on the Legendary Marathon-Runner (De gloria Atheniensium 347CD)
LUCIA ATHANASSAKI

De Plutarchi Malignitate
HEINZ GERD INGENKAMP

Consistency and Criticism in Plutarch's Writings Concerning the Laws of Solon
DELFIM F. LEàƒO

Selenographic Description: Critical Annotations to Plutarch, De facie 944C
AURELIO PÉREZ-JIMÉNEZ

Bibliography
Index locorum