Plutarch in the Religious and Philosophical Discourse of Late Antiquity

The works of Plutarch, notably his Moralia , provide us with exceptional evidence to reconstruct the spiritual and intellectual atmosphere of the first centuries CE. As a priest of Apollo at Delphi, Plutarch was a first range witness of ancient religious experience; as a Middle Platonist, he was also actively involved in the developments of the philosophical school. Besides, he also provided a more detached point of view both regarding numerous religious practices and currents that were permeating the building of ancient pagan religion and the philosophical views of other schools. His combining the insider and the sensitive observer's perspectives make Plutarch a crucial starting point for the understanding of the religious and philosophical discourse of Late Antiquity. Plutarch in the Religious and Philosophical Discourse of Late Antiquity 4 Contents 6 Preface 8 Abbreviations 12 List of Contributors 16 Lautaro Roig Lanzillotta: Introduction: Plutarch at the Crossroads of Religion and Philosophy 18 1. Plutarch and the Philosophical Discourse 19 2. Plutarch and the Religious Discourse 30 I: Plutarch and Philosophy 40 Abraham P. Bos: Plutarch on the Sleeping Soul and the Waking Intellect and Aristotle's Double Entelechy Concept 42 1. Plutarch and Aristotle’s Lost Dialogues 42 2. Aristotle’s Denition of the Soul Misunderstood for Centuries 45 3. The Soul as “Entelechy” in Two Different Senses in Aristotle’s On the Soul 2.1 47 4. Three Ways of Explaining Aristotle’s “Twofold Entelechy” 51 5. The Intellect That Is Wakened 55 Francesco Becchi: The Doctrine of the Passions: Plutarch, Posidonius and Galen 60 Raúl Caballero: The Adventitious Motion of the Soul (Plut., De Stoic. repugn. 23, 1045B-F) and the Controversy between Aristo of Chios and the Middle Academy 72 1. The Academic Philosophers against the Stoic Theory of Intermediate Action 72 2. From Aristo’s ἐπελεύσεις to the Academic Notion of an “Adventitious Faculty of the Soul” 77 3. Choice without Preference and the Academic Battle against the Stoic Theory of Fate 84 Frederick E. Brenk: Plutarch and "Pagan Monotheism" 90 Geert Roskam: Socrates and Alcibiades: A Notorious σχάυδαλου in the Later Platonist Tradition 102 1. A Remarkable Couple 102 2. Plutarch’s Life of Alcibiades 105 2.1. The Content and Orientation of Socrates’ Education 105 2.2. The Results of Socrates’ Education 107 3. Proclus’ Commentary on Plato’s Alcibiades I 110 3.1. The Content and Orientation of Socrates’ Education 111 3.2. The Results of Socrates’ Education 113 4. Different Voices, the Same Refrain 115 Michiel Meeusen: Salt in the Holy Water: Plutarch's Quaestiones Naturales in Michael Psellus' De omnifaria doctrina 118 1. Is There a Philosopher in This Empire? 118 2. De omnifaria doctrina and Quaestiones Naturales 122 3. Editorial Enhancement 124 4. Textual Adaptations and Improvement of the Readability 127 5. Pressure of the Orthodox Establishment 131 6. Conclusion 136 II: Plutarch and Religion 140 Ana Isabel Jiménez San Cristóbal: Iacchus in Plutarch 142 1. Is Iacchus Dionysus? 142 2. The Mystery Iacchus 143 3. The Procession to Eleusis 146 3.1. On Boedromion 19th/20th 146 3.2. τὰ δρώμενα on the Road 148 4. Findings 151 Lautaro Roig Lanzillotta: Plutarch's Idea of God in the Religious and Philosophical Context of Late Antiquity 154 1. Plutarch’s Idea of God and Herodotus’ Malice 155 2. Late Antique References to Plato’s Timaeus 29E 161 3. Conclusions 166 Angelo Casanova: Plutarch as Apollo's Priest at Delphi 168 Aurelio Pérez Jiménez: Plutarch's Attitude towards Astral Biology 176 1. Plutarch’s Belief on Astral Inflluence 176 2. Some Examples of the In􀀀luence of Sun and Moon on Plants and Animals 177 3. Some Conclusions 185 Paola Volpe Cacciatore: "Cicalata sul fascino volgarmente detto jettatura": Plutarch, quaestio convivalis 5.7 188 Delfim F. Leão: The Eleusinian Mysteries and Political Timing in the Life of Alcibiades 198 1. Alcibiades and the Scandals of 415bc 198 2. The Mutilation of the Herms 199 3. Parodic Representation of the Eleusinian Mysteries 203 4. The Return of Alcibiades to the Athenian Political Scene 206 Rosario Scannapieco: Mυστηριώδης θεολογία: Plutarch's fr. 157 Sandbach between Cultual Traditions and Philosophical Models 210 1. Fr. 157 Sandbach: Fascination of the Ancient, Exegesis, and Defense of the Hellenic Identity 210 2. The fr. 157 and the Dialogue On Love: A Common Ethical-Political Project? 217 3. Rhetorical Strategies and Philosophical Meanings 218 4. The Philosophical Background of fr. 157: The Model of Plato’s Stateman 222 George van Kooten: A Non-Fideistic Interpretation of πίστις in Plutarch's Writings: The Harmony Between πίστις and Knowledge 232 1. Introduction 232 2. The “Religious” Meaning of Πίστις 234 3. Two Forms of Πίστις: Misfounded Faith and Strengthened Faith 240 4. Πίστις as Persuasion 241 5. Πίστις in the Sense of Trust 243 6. The Philosophical Use of πίστις and πιστεύειν 244 Israel Muñoz Gallarte: The Colors of the Souls 252 1. God as Painter of Souls 255 2. The Colors of the Soul and Their Ethical Values 256 Bibliography 266 Index Locorum 292 Index Rerum 311 Index Nominum 315 Introduction: Plutarch at the crossroads of religion and philosophy / Lautaro Roig Lanzillotta Plutarch and philosophy Plutarch on the sleeping soul and the waking intellect and Aristotle's double entelechy concept / Abraham P. Bos The doctrine of the passions: Plutarch, Posidonius and Galen / Francesco Becchi The adventitious motion of the soul (Plut., Stoic. repugn. 23, 1045b-f) and the controversy between Aristo of Chios and the middle academy / Raul Caballero Plutarch and "pagan monotheism" / Frederick Brenk Socrates and Alcibiades: a notorious skandalon in the later Platonist tradition / Geert Roskam Salt in the holy water : Plutarch's Quaestiones naturales in Michael Psellus' De omnifaria doctrina / Michiel Meeusen Plutarch and religion Iacchus in Plutarch / Ana Isabel Jimenez San Cristobal Plutarch's idea of god in the religious and philosophical context of late antiquity / Lautaro Roig Lanzillotta Plutarch as Apollo's priest at Delphi / Angelo Casanova Plutarch's attitude towards astral biology / Aurelio Perez Jimenez "Cicalata sul fascino volgarmente detto jettatura": Plutarch, Quaestio convivalis 5.7 / Paola Volpe Cacciatore The Eleusinian mysteries and political timing in the life of Alcibiades / Delfim F. Leao Mysteriodes theologia: Plutarch's Fr. 157 Sandbach between cultual traditions and philosophical models / Rosario Scannapieco A non-fideistic interpretation of 'pistis' in Plutarch's writings: the harmony between 'pistis' and knowledge / George van Kooten The colors of the souls / Israel Munoz Gallarte. Either as insider or as sensitive observer, Plutarch provides us with exceptional evidence to reconstruct the spiritual and intellectual atmosphere of the first centuries CE. This collection of articles sheds important light on the religious and philosophical discourse of Late Antiquity.