Expert Ancient Greek: Πλουτάρχου Ἠθικά (G401)

You may know Plutarch’s biographies of great Greeks and Romans, but the Platonist philosopher was also one of the most prolific authors from antiquity. At the turn of the 13th and 14th centuries, the Byzantine scholar Maximus Planudes conditionally divided Plutarch’s writings into “Lives” and “Moralia.” The title “Moralia” became established, although it is considered imprecise and does not reflect the full scope of his interests. These treatises, written in the 1st century AD, revive classical culture and political ideals – not as a retreat from the present, but as a way for antiquity to nourish contemporary thought. Composed in an era when the cultural ideal wavered between the rhetorician and the philosopher, the Moralia reflect Plutarch’s rejection of both extremes. His aim is to be a well-rounded person – a family man and a citizen. His independence from contemporary literary trends, especially the Second Sophistic – which captivated many talented writers of his time – further sets him apart. This makes his work a distinctive chapter in the history of ancient humanism. In this course, we will primarily examine the treatises “Beasts Are Rational”, “The Dinner of the Seven Wise Men”, and “On Superstition”, while also considering excerpts from other works and discussing them in Ancient Greek.

• Sessions last 1.5 hours
• 1 session per week
• Course lasts 14 weeks
• Term runs May 4, 2025 – Aug. 9, 2025