Plutarch’s ‘Politikos’

Political leadership and the enduring tension between ethical ideals and pragmatic action.

What makes a good political leader? This volume explores a central question in the work of Plutarch of Chaeronea, one of antiquity’s most influential moral and political thinkers. Drawing on ten case studies, it shows how Plutarch used famous figures from the Greek and Roman past to reflect on leadership in his own time under Roman rule.

The chapters in this edited collection reveal how leaders were often forced to balance ideals with practical demands, facing difficult choices between principle and praxis. They present a world in which ambition, ethics, and responsibility to the community are constantly in tension.

Bringing together contributions from both established and early-career scholars, the book offers fresh insights into Plutarch’s political thinking and his reflections on leadership which continue to resonate today. By bridging theory and practice, it will appeal both to specialists in Plutarch and to readers interested in ancient political thought.

Acknowledgements
Abbreviations

Introduction
Joaquim Pinheiro and Laurens van der Wiel

1. Plutarch’s Lycurgus: A Classical and Contemporary Model for the Politikos in the High Empire
   Carmine Nastri
2. The Mythical Politikos as a Role Model: Plutarch’s Lycurgus
   Iris Sulimani
3. Romulus vs. Numa: The Development of the Politikos in Roman Monarchy According to Plutarch
   Serena Emilia Di Salvatore
4. Doing What the Situation Requires: Insights from Solon, Themistocles, Cato Minor, and Caesar
   Susan Jacobs
5. Pericles’ Political Theatre in the Construction of Democracy
   Renan Liparotti
6. Phocion’s Rhetoric as a Key for the Political Use of History in Praecepta gerendae reipublicae
   Maria Serena Chiodo
7. The Statesman and the Love of Wealth: Exploring the Moralia and the Lives
   Alessandro Fino

8. Φυσικόν and πολιτικόν: Themistocles and Alcibiades from a Plutarchan Perspective
   Giulia Tardio

9. Was Antony Controlled By Women? Plutarch’s Perspective
   Borja Méndez Santiago
10. The Statesman as Doctor: The Use of Medical Metaphors in Plutarch’s Lives
    Francesca Gaudiano

Bibliography
Notes on Contributors
General Index

Joaquim Pinheiro

Joaquim Pinheiro is Full Professor at the University of Madeira.

Laurens van der Wiel

Laurens van der Wiel is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Warsaw.

Carmine Nastri

Iris Sulimani

Serena Emilia Di Salvatore

Susan Jacobs

Renan Liparotti

Maria Serena Chiodo

Alessandro Fino

Giulia Tardio

Borja Méndez Santiago

Francesca Gaudiano