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Chapter 14 - Plutarch and Animals
- By Judith Mossman, Alexei V. Zadorojnyi
Edited by Frances B. Titchener, Utah State University, Alexei V. Zadorojnyi, University of Liverpool
Book:

The Cambridge Companion to Plutarch

Published online:

29 June 2023

Print publication:

13 July 2023, pp 282-302
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Summary

Plutarch is often seen nowadays as a champion of the animal cause, and virtually as a precursor of the modern pro-animal argument. It is important, however, to recognize that the prominence of animals in Plutarch’s work is symptomatic of the widespread and vibrant textual experimentation with animals in imperial Greco-Roman literature. The trend peaks in the second century AD, but animals were relevant within imperial philosophical thought too. Like many authors (and their ancient readers), Plutarch draws upon and responds to (a) the rich and abiding literary tradition of mobilizing animal imagery and themes and (b) the long-established philosophical debate on animal psychology and rationality, with far-reaching ethical implications about how animals should be treated. The chapter surveys the attitudes toward animals across the Plutarchan corpus and offers in-depth contextualization of the dialogues De sollertia animalium and the notoriously ironic Gryllus.

Women’s Speech in Greek Tragedy: The Case of Electra and Clytemnestra in Euripides’ Electra 1
Judith Mossman
Journal:

The Classical Quarterly / Volume 51 / Issue 2 / December 2001

Published online by Cambridge University Press:

07 April 2006, pp. 374-384

Print publication:

December 2001
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