Between Heathenism and Christianity - College of Stoic Philosophers

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Plutarch and the Greece of His Age telligent company and also by the aid of books, of which he had a large collection.* Plutarch was a man who strove not only to make others wiser, but also to become wiser himself. His aim was to be a living exemplar of the doctrines he professed and taught. He was a firm believer in plain living and high thinking. He disliked as strongly as he disliked anything the costly and luxurious ban quets so much affected by the rich Romans of his The little company that so frequently came to day. gether under his hospitable roof met, not to eat and drink, but to engage in serious and profitable conver sation. The viands were plain a secondary matter; the chief thing was the discussion. This often turned on the most trivial subjects, for the host seems to have thought with Terence: "Homo *um, et nihil human! a nif alieuum puto." Practical politics for a Greek of Plutarch s day did not mean serious business, especially for the citizen of a small municipality like Chaeroneia. He had there fore ample time for studying, lecturing and formu lating his numerous writings. He was not only so fortunate as to have a good memory, but he began at * Students of German literature are reminded of a certain moral and intellectual similarity between Plutarch and Gellert. The latter, though a man of much less natural ability, had all of Plutarch s kindliness, moral and religious earnestness, sympathy for those in distress, and the same popularity among all classes from prince to peasant. Both were equally religious, though one was a heathen and the other a Christian; both preserved the name serenity of mind and cheerfulness of heart in a time of national degradation and immorality. 118
Plutarch and the Greece of His Age an early age to take notes on what he read; in this way he accumulated the large stock of quotations so profusely scattered through his writings. In fact this practice of depending upon others for his information must have done a good deal toward weakening his power of original thought, and he usually enforces a precept by an apt quotation rather than by arguments that he has himself elaborated. On the other hand, his frequent reference to older authors has given a special value to his writings in the eyes of the moderns. Though not quoted by any extant Roman writer and rarely by a Greek he must have been much read soon after his death, and at no time was he wholly forgotten. His early and continued popular ity doubtless contributed not a little to the preserva tion of so large a portion of his writings; but it also put into circulation under his name a number of spu rious works just how many cannot be determined. Yet it is certain that some genuine writings have been lost. Among the earliest printed books were portions of Plutarch. Plutarch is a prolix but not a pedantic nor a tedi ous writer. Though he displays immense erudition he does so without effort. An apt quotation from one of the poets, a telling anecdote of some celebrated man or w r oman, or historical incident seems always ready to his hand, and waiting for a suitable place to be used. He is completely master of the extensive stock of knowledge stored up in his mind or his notes. He is a capital story-teller. He knows how to seize 119
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THEQL STACK
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Between Heathenism and Christianity
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" PREFACE. It is admitted by s
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Preface In the following pages I ha
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CONTENTS, ....... PAGE. PBEFAOE ...
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SENECA: HIS CHARACTER AND ENVIRONME
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" " Seneca: His Character
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Seneca: His Character and Environme
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" No Seneca: His Character and
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" Seneca: His Character and En
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" The Seneca: His Character an
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SELECTIONS FROM THE WRITINGS OF SEN
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Selections from the Writings of Sen
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Page 83 and 84: De Providentia untouched, I shall u
Page 85 and 86: " Why De Providentia gence and
Page 87 and 88: De Providentia may gain real streng
Page 89 and 90: De Providentia enough for the immor
Page 91 and 92: De Providentia down his arms forthw
Page 93 and 94: De Providentia well-known exemplar
Page 95 and 96: De Providentia prove by these thing
Page 97 and 98: De Provldenda to thee when thou wer
Page 99 and 100: <J5 De Providentia ingly the
Page 101 and 102: De Providentia V. Add, now, that it
Page 103 and 104: De Providentia nor am I God s slave
Page 105 and 106: " " Good De Providentia I
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Page 109 and 110: " For De Providentia found in
Page 111 and 112: De Providentia "The first whic
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Page 129 and 130: eformer. Plutarch and the Greece of
Page 167 and 168: " " The Delay of the Deit
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Page 171 and 172: The Delay of the Deity vices, He ad
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The Delay of the Deity nature, to h
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The Delay of the Deity may turn to
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" " " The Delay of t
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The Delay of the Deity Sikyonians a
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" We The Delay of the Deity ag
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The Delay of the Deity are allowed
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The Delay of the Deity 11. If then
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The Delay of the Deity wished might
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" " The Delay of the Deit
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The Delay of the Deity to what is p
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The Delay of the Deity son from his
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" You " Do " "
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The Delay of the Deity conjured up
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Pindar says? 197 The Delay of the D
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The Delay of the Deity to be a vill
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" " The Delay of the Deit
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The Delay of the Deity distances fr
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The Delay of the Deity the souls of
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The Delay of the Deity cation and p
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The Delay of the Deity the white. H
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The Delay of the Deity offer suppli
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The Delay of the Deityfalling into
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The Delay of the Deity is intrinsic
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Appendix VOLUME III. De E apud Delp
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Appendix cited by their Latin title
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