History without Malice?

Abstract The chapter analyses to what extent Plutarch wrote without malice in those places where he clearly used Herodotus as a major source. In the account of Solon’s meeting with Croesus, Plutarch manages to maintain many of Herodotus’ themes while either eliminating those he found distasteful or casting them in a different light. In his treatment of the Persian War battles, Plutarch often adheres to the framework of Herodotus’ account, while eliminating or modifying many of the conflicts that Herodotus details, and emphasizing the panhellenic nature of the Greek achievement. He also incorporates into his own narrative material from other historians that sheds a more positive light on the men and events of the time. The conclusion suggests that the numerous positive portrayals of the Persian Wars which Plutarch knew from elsewhere and which he assumed predated Herodotus’ narrative were crucial in convincing Plutarch that Herodotus’ fabrications (as he saw them) were deliberate.