Plutarch's compositional technique in the An seni respublica gerenda sit: clusters vs. patterns

Xenophontos, S. A. (2012) Plutarch's compositional technique in the An seni respublica gerenda sit: clusters vs. patterns. American Journal of Philology, 133(1), pp. 61-91. (doi: 10.1353/ajp.2012.0001)

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Publisher's URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1353/ajp.2012.0001

Abstract

The theory of "clusters of parallel passages" introduced by the Leuven School has been an important tool for the investigation of Plutarch's compositional techniques. This article seeks to test the exact validity of the Leuven approach by examining whether we can always detect clusters of Plutarch's thought in cases in which identical items recur in different contexts. In the first section of this article I discover a cluster shared by the <i>An seni respublica gerenda</i> sit and the <i>Non posse suaviter vivi secundum Epicurum</i>, while in the second section I end with an elaborate pattern of thought shared by the <i>An seni respublica gerenda sit</i> and the <i>Praecepta gerendae reipublicae</i>. Both cases illustrate equally how Plutarch reuses the same material to make it fit the varying themes of different essays.

Item Type:Articles
Status:Published
Refereed:Yes
Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID:Xenofontos, Dr Sophia
Authors: Xenophontos, S. A.
College/School:College of Arts & Humanities > School of Humanities > Classics
Journal Name:American Journal of Philology
Journal Abbr.:AJPh
Publisher:Johns Hopkins University Press
ISSN:0002-9475
ISSN (Online):1086-3168

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