Plutarch and Delphi

Chapter 2 looks at (a) Plutarch’s various roles at Delphi: as a member of the Amphictyonic council, a priest of Apollo, a citizen of Delphi, a wealthy provincial, and a Roman citizen (b) the presence of history at Delphi—especially the Roman presence—and Plutarch’s realization that Delphi’s continued prosperity was not guaranteed; (c) the divine enigmas of Delphi and Apollo’s presence, and (d) the influence of Delphi on Plutarch. It argues that Delphic art and architecture, far from being a mere tourist attraction, exercised a deep influence on Plutarch’s conception of history and the way he viewed political power, statesmanship, and the nature of heroism. It further suggests that the juxtaposition of Greek and Roman artefacts of successive periods and of statues of Greeks and of Roman generals and emperors offered Plutarch the incentive to consider larger historical and cultural issues and may have had a decisive impact his conception of the Parallel Lives.