According to Plutarch, Herodotus’ Histories are full of “malice” (κακοήθεια). This assessment is rather challenging to understand and requires explanation on historical grounds. This article first outlines the criteria of truth used in Plutarch’s De Herodoti malignitate, among which a preference for the most credited version prevails. The way in which he approaches Herodotus is then compared with the subsequent social use of history, which had its deep roots in the Hellenistic age (as epigraphic evidence also shows). The laudatory tendency of this practice linked historians and poleis in a circuit of praise, here referred to as the “τιμή paradigm”. Herodotus’ “malice” and Plutarch’s aggres- 486 sive counterattack are polar opposites to this paradigm, and when Plutarch condemns Herodotus, he reverses the “benevolence”, εὔνοια, that had existed for several centuries in the relationship between poleis and Greek historians. Finally, the weight of the political context of the Roman empire in shaping Plutarch’s attitude is examined.
De Plutarchi benignitate. Per l'origine e il contesto dell'interpretazione plutarchea di Erodoto
porciani, leone
2023-01-01
Abstract
According to Plutarch, Herodotus’ Histories are full of “malice” (κακοήθεια). This assessment is rather challenging to understand and requires explanation on historical grounds. This article first outlines the criteria of truth used in Plutarch’s De Herodoti malignitate, among which a preference for the most credited version prevails. The way in which he approaches Herodotus is then compared with the subsequent social use of history, which had its deep roots in the Hellenistic age (as epigraphic evidence also shows). The laudatory tendency of this practice linked historians and poleis in a circuit of praise, here referred to as the “τιμή paradigm”. Herodotus’ “malice” and Plutarch’s aggres- 486 sive counterattack are polar opposites to this paradigm, and when Plutarch condemns Herodotus, he reverses the “benevolence”, εὔνοια, that had existed for several centuries in the relationship between poleis and Greek historians. Finally, the weight of the political context of the Roman empire in shaping Plutarch’s attitude is examined.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
