Plutarch’s Life of Alcibiades

At the beginning of the second century AD, Plutarch of Chaeronea wrote a series of pairs of biographies of Greek and Roman statesmen. Their purpose is moral: the reader is invited to reflect on important ethical issues and to use the example of these great men from the past to improve his or her own conduct. This book offers the first full-scale commentary on the Life of Alcibiades. It examines how Plutarch’s biography of one of classical Athens’ most controversial politicians functions within the moral programme of the Parallel Lives. Built upon the narratological distinction between story and text, Verdegem’s analysis, which involves detailed comparisons with other Plutarchan works (esp. the Lives of Nicias and Lysander) and several key texts in the Alcibiades tradition (e.g., Plato, Thucydides, Xenophon), demonstrates how Plutarch carefully constructed his story and used a wide range of narrative techniques to create a complex Life that raises interesting questions about the relation between private morality and the common good.

"Plutarch’s Life of Alcibiades" was written by Simon Verdegem.

Simon Verdegem is an Associate Staff Member of the Research Unit 'Literary Studies: Text and Interpretation' of KU Leuven in Belgium.

Yes, "Plutarch’s Life of Alcibiades" is part of the "Plutarchea Hypomnemata" series. It's book 3 in the 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

Preface 11

Abbreviations 13

Introduction 19

1. Moralism 19

2. Story 60

3. Text 79

1. The Proem (Alc. 1) 97

1. An Intriguing Beginning 97

2. Making a Start 100

3. Conclusions 117

2. A Difficult Character (Alc. 2-9) 119

1. On Character Changes and Innate Passions (Alc. 2.1) 119

2. Childhood Stories (Alc. 2.2-3.2) 121

3. How to Distinguish Flatterers from a Friend (Alc. 4-6) 131

4. Sayings and Doings of a Young Adult (Alc. 7-9) 151

5. Conclusions 162

3. The Ascent to Power (Alc. 10-15) 167

1. A Spectacular Entry (Alc. 10.1-2) 167

2. Alcibiades' Rhetoric (Alc. 10.3-4) 169

3. The Olympic Triumph (Alc. 11-12) 171

4. The Struggle for Power in Athens (Alc. 13) 176

5. Breaking the Peace of Nicias (Alc. 14-15) 188

6. Conclusions 208

4. A Thought-Provoking Transition (Alc. 16) 215

1. Dividing Public Opinion 215

2. Combining Source Material 220

5. The Great Reversal (Alc. 17.1-23.3) 225

1. Thinking about the Conquest of Sicily (Alc. 17.1-18.5) 225

2. From Mutilation to Condemnation (Alc. 18.6-22.5) 239

3. Alcibiades' Defection to Sparta (Alc. 23.1-3) 261

4. Conclusions 264

6. The Art of Adaptation (Alc. 23.4-5) 269

1. Alcibiades' Adaptation of his Conduct 269

2. Plutarch's Adaptation of his Material 272

7. From Sparta to Samos (Alc. 23.6-26.9) 279

1. From Sparta to Sardis (Alc. 23.6-25.2) 279

2. From Sardis to Samos (Alc. 25.3-26.9) 291

3. Conclusions 304

8. Fighting His Way Back (Alc. 27-31) 309

1. A Quest for Glory (Alc. 27.1-2) 309

2. The Battle of Abydus (Alc. 27.3-6 [15] ) 310

3. In Prison (Alc. 27.6[16]-28.2[28]) 312

4. The Battle of Cyzicus (Alc. 28.2[28]-10) 314

5. Alcibiades and Thrasyllus (Alc. 29.1-5) 318

6. The Expedition against Chalcedon (Alc. 29.6-30.2) 319

7. The Capture of Selybria (Alc. 30.3-10) 320

8. The Chalcedon-Treaty (Alc. 31.1-2) 322

9. The Capture of Byzantium (Alc. 31.3-8) 323

10. Conclusions 326

9. At the Height of His Glory (Alc. 32-34) 331

1. Alcibiades' Return to Athens (Alc. 32.1-34.2) 331

2. Alcibiades' Restoration of the Procession to

Eleusis (Alc. 34.3-7) 341

3. Conclusions 346

10. A Tragic Downfall (Alc. 35-39) 351

1. In Absentia (Alc. 35.1-36.5) 351

2. A New Blow (Alc. 36.6-37.8) 372

3. The Final Act (Alc. 38-39) 385

4. Conclusions 394

Conclusions 399

1. Story 399

2. Text 410

3. Moralism 417

Bibliography 425

Index of Plutarch Passages 469

Index of Passages in Other Authors 489

The Digital Object Identifier (DOI) for "Plutarch’s Life of Alcibiades" is 10.11116/9789461660091.