Why did Plutarch write against Colotes? Reading the prooemium of Πρὸς Κωλώτην
This chapter discusses the reasons and circumstances which led Plutarch to compose a detailed and systematic response to an otherwise unknown polemical book by Colotes, a relatively obscure Epicurean of the 3rd century bc. It offers a close reading of the prooemium of the Adversus Colotem in which P...
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| Format: | Book section |
| Language: | English |
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Oxford University Press
2011
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| _version_ | 1817930625174208512 |
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| author | Kechagia, E |
| author2 | Kechagia, E |
| author_facet | Kechagia, E Kechagia, E |
| author_sort | Kechagia, E |
| collection | OXFORD |
| description | This chapter discusses the reasons and circumstances which led Plutarch to compose a detailed and systematic response to an otherwise unknown polemical book by Colotes, a relatively obscure Epicurean of the 3rd century bc. It offers a close reading of the prooemium of the Adversus Colotem in which Plutarch masterfully gives his own justification of his enterprise, both explicitly and through allusion to his Platonic pedigree. Prima facie the Adversus Colotem is presented as the written version of the oral refutation of Colotes which Plutarch was asked by his companions to give during one of the sessions in his school. At the same time, it transpires that responding to Colotes' polemic gave Plutarch the opportunity to engage in an exercise in the history of philosophy from the perspective of a Platonist teacher. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-06T19:55:05Z |
| format | Book section |
| id | oxford-uuid:254b0850-09be-45cb-b805-595f1c79419b |
| institution | University of Oxford |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-09T03:09:06Z |
| publishDate | 2011 |
| publisher | Oxford University Press |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | oxford-uuid:254b0850-09be-45cb-b805-595f1c79419b2024-10-04T14:24:24ZWhy did Plutarch write against Colotes? Reading the prooemium of Πρὸς ΚωλώτηνBook sectionhttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_1843uuid:254b0850-09be-45cb-b805-595f1c79419bHistory of the ancient worldAncient philosophyEnglishOxford University Research Archive - ValetOxford University Press2011Kechagia, EKechagia, EThis chapter discusses the reasons and circumstances which led Plutarch to compose a detailed and systematic response to an otherwise unknown polemical book by Colotes, a relatively obscure Epicurean of the 3rd century bc. It offers a close reading of the prooemium of the Adversus Colotem in which Plutarch masterfully gives his own justification of his enterprise, both explicitly and through allusion to his Platonic pedigree. Prima facie the Adversus Colotem is presented as the written version of the oral refutation of Colotes which Plutarch was asked by his companions to give during one of the sessions in his school. At the same time, it transpires that responding to Colotes' polemic gave Plutarch the opportunity to engage in an exercise in the history of philosophy from the perspective of a Platonist teacher. |
| spellingShingle | History of the ancient world Ancient philosophy Kechagia, E Why did Plutarch write against Colotes? Reading the prooemium of Πρὸς Κωλώτην |
| title | Why did Plutarch write against Colotes? Reading the prooemium of Πρὸς Κωλώτην |
| title_full | Why did Plutarch write against Colotes? Reading the prooemium of Πρὸς Κωλώτην |
| title_fullStr | Why did Plutarch write against Colotes? Reading the prooemium of Πρὸς Κωλώτην |
| title_full_unstemmed | Why did Plutarch write against Colotes? Reading the prooemium of Πρὸς Κωλώτην |
| title_short | Why did Plutarch write against Colotes? Reading the prooemium of Πρὸς Κωλώτην |
| title_sort | why did plutarch write against colotes reading the prooemium of πρὸς κωλώτην |
| topic | History of the ancient world Ancient philosophy |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT kechagiae whydidplutarchwriteagainstcolotesreadingtheprooemiumofproskōlōtēn |