Plutarch's On the malice of Herodotus and the writing of history in the Greco-Roman world John Marincola

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Marincola, John, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Herodotus.

Plutarch. De Herodoti malignitate.

Plutarch.

History, Ancient--Historiography.

History, Ancient.

Physical Description:

1 online resource

Place of Publication:

Oxford University Press, 2026.

Oxford Oxford University Press [2026]

Summary:

The essay, 'On the Malice of Herodotus', which has come down to us in the corpus of Plutarch, has often been considered a problematic work because of its hostile tone, the object of its attack, and the quality of its argumentation. This book seeks to set the work in the larger context of the standards and traditions of Greek and Roman historiography and classical criticism more generally as they developed in antiquity. Individual chapters explore Plutarch's place in the critical reputation of Herodotus in antiquity, the nature and importance of historiographical style, the 'signs and tokens' used by Plutarch to convict Herodotus of malice, the particular kind of polemic on display in the essay, its relationship to Plutarch's 'Parallel Lives', Plutarch's own attempts to re-write the famous incidents narrated by Herodotus, and the importance ancient critics placed on determining the disposition of the historian

Contents:

(Iii) Historiographical Style

(iv) Plutarch and Herodotus' Style

(v) Plutarch's Innovation

3: The Traces and Distinctive Signs

1. Use of Harsher Words

2. Insertion of Irrelevant Material

3. Omission of What is Fine and Noble

4. Choosing the 'Worse' Account

5. Choosing the 'Worse' Motivation

6. Ascribing Success to Lesser Causes

7. Indirect Attack

8. Adding Praise to Make Criticism More Persuasive

9. Conclusion

4: Techniques of Refutation

1. Polemic and Refutation in Greek Historiography

2. Two Predecessors: Polybius and Josephus

3. Plutarch on Books 1-4 of the Histories

4. Plutarch on the Persian Wars Narrative

5. Conclusion: Plutarch's Techniques

5: The Malice and the Lives

1. A Double Standard?

2. Plutarch, Biography, and History

3. Plutarch and the Reliability of Sources

6 : History without Malice?: Plutarch Rewrites Herodotus

1. Solon and Croesus

2. The Persian Wars: General Observations

3. Marathon

4. Salamis

5. Plataea

6. Conclusion

7 : The Historian's Disposition: Alliance and Alienation

1. Dionysius on the Historian's Disposition

2. 'Alliance' and the Inferior Historian

3. 'Alienation' and the Superior Historian

4. Plutarch and the Historian's Disposition

5. Conclusion

Appendix 1: Lost Works on Historiography

Appendix 2: Works and Commentaries on Herodotus

Appendix 3: Techniques of Refutation

Bibliography

Index Locorum

Index

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index

Description based on online resource and publisher information; title from PDF title page (viewed on March 12, 2026)

Other Format:

Print version :

ISBN:

9780198979210

0198979215

OCLC:

1579013472

Publisher Number:

CIPO000365459

Access Restriction:

Restricted for use by site license