In Mist Apparelled: Religious Themes in Plutarch's Moralia and Lives

320 Pages·1977·4.934 MB·English

by  Frederick E. Brenk

IN MIST APPARELLED
RELIGIOUS THEMES
IN PLUTARCH'S MORALIA AND LIVES
MNEMOSYNE
BIBLIOTHECA CLASSICA BATAVA
COLLEGERUNT
W. DEN BOER • W. J. VERDENIUS • R. E. H. WESTENDORF BOERMA
BIBLIOTHECAE FASCICULOS EDENDOS CURA VIT
W. J. VERDENIUS, HOMERUSLAAN 53, ZEIST
SUPPLEMENTUM QUADRAGESIMUM OCTAVUM
FREDERICK E. BRENK, S.J.
IN MIST APPARELLED
RELIGIOUS THEMES
IN PLUTARCH'S MORALIA AND LIVES
LUGDUNI BATAVORUl\1 E. J. BRILL l\ICl\ILXXVII
IN MIST APPARELLED
RELIGIOUS THEMES
IN PLUTAI-<.CH'S MORALIA AND LIVES
BY
FREDERICK E. BRENK, S.J.
LUGDUNI BATAVORUM E. J. BRILL MCMLXXVII
ISBN 90 04 05241 o
Copyright 1977 by E. f. Brill, Leiden, Netherlands
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or
translated in any form, by print, photoprint, microfilm, microfiche
or any other means without written permission from the publisher
PRINTED IN THE NETHERLANDS
FRANCISCO SANDBACH,
DOCTISSIMO VIRO,
OPTIMO MAGISTRO
MULIERIQUE MARIAE

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Preface
IX
References to the M oralia cited in this Work XI
References to the Lives
XIII
Introduction . . . . .
l
I. In the Throes of Superstition: Some Preliminaries on
the Development of Plutarch's Thought 9
II. Dreams and the Tortures of the Damned 16
III. Wax Gods and the Shadow of the Moon 28
IV. Not a Tear: Early Daimones and Human Sacrifice 49
V. Limb Torn from Limb: Mysticism and the Young
Plutarch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
VI. Not for Any God but to Avert Evil Spirits:
Cleombrotos' Daimones . . . . . . . . 85
VII. Lamprias's Reply: Aught Else than Souls that Make
their Rounds in Mists Apparelled? . rr3
VIII. The Force of the Cause Whirled about in Disorder and
Unrestrictedly: Daimon and Tyche in Plutarch . 145
IX. And to All the Sign Seemed Evil: Omens and Portents 184
X. Still Feeling the Effects of his Dream: The Dreams
of the Lives . 214
XI. Not a Pretence for Cowardice: The Delphic Oracle in
the Lives . 236
XII. Clinging like Bees or Bats: Divine Retribution in
the Lives 256
Bibliography . . 276
Index of Subjects and Ancient Names 300
Index of Modern Authors

PREFACE
To write perfectly on Plutarch one should have a perfect know
ledge of all Greek and Roman literature, philosophy, religion,
and art up to his time-awesome if not impossible. The reader's
indulgence is asked for many inadcciuacies. T have tried to approach
the subject from the inner bond which ties his work together and
from an understanding of bis total contribution. Hopefully this
study will shed light on Plutarch as a warm and intelligent religious
and literary personage who deeply loved classical civilization and
thought it more valuable to pass over its shortcomings than
highlight its faults. He was a representative of a period in wl1icl1
men looked back with nostalgia on the remarkable changes which
had taken place in preceding culture and history, without being
aware of all the changes going on within themselves. This subtle
shift of emphasis and conception, joined to a healthy eclecticism
and broadminclcdncss, lends a certain elusiveness to his thought
which has defied generations of scholars. A peculiar combination
of originality and use of others' ideas makes him a most valuable,
even if sometimes baffling, person with which to approach his age.
I am very much endebtcd to Professor F. H. Sanclbach of Trinity
College, Cambridge, who was my director at that university and has
given me much encouragement and assistance since. Professor
Robert Flaceliere of the Ecole Normalc Supcrieure at Paris kindly
invited me to speak at the Bud6 Congrcs at Paris dnring that time.
I am greatly endebtcd to Professors Hubert Martin and John
Scarborough of the University of Kentucky. In one way or another
I am also cndebtccl to Professors E. N. O'Neil of the University
of California at Los Angeles, C. P. Jones of the University of
Toronto, D. A. Russell of Si... John's College, Oxford, Thomas
Kraabcl of the University of Minnesota, Heinrich Di)rric of Miinstcr,
Ernst Badian of Harvard, Hcinz-Genl Ingcnkarnp of Bonn, and
John Dillon of the University of California at Berkeley. I am
grateful to Professor Martin, Patricia Brnnnan, J. Patrick Donnelly,
S. J., Thomas A. Caldwell, S.J., and Jacqueline Strand for work
with the manuscript and proofs.
Marquette University
August 1976