Plutarch’s Sparta: Intertextual and Experiential

Davies, Philip

Abstract

In this chapter I propose a substantive usage of ‘intertextual Sparta’ as denoting the pervasively intertextual character of Plutarch’s understanding of Sparta. I examine the scope and definition of this ‘intertextual Sparta,’ and I distinguish it from the broader gamut of intertextual engagement apparent within Plutarch’s Spartan Lives. I also set it alongside what I term Plutarch’s ‘experiential Sparta’—the contribution of his first-hand experience of contemporary Sparta to his understanding of earlier Sparta. I explore the interaction between these two elements, in particular the diverse ways in which Plutarch deploys his personal experience in support of his intertextual engagement.

Citation

Davies, P. (2020). Plutarch’s Sparta: Intertextual and Experiential. In T. Schmidt, M. Vamvouri, & R. Hirsch-Luipold (Eds.), The Dynamics of Intertextuality in Plutarch (429-439). Leiden: Brill Academic Publishers. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004427860_035

• Publication Date: Jun 4, 2020
• Deposit Date: Nov 13, 2023
• Publisher: Brill Academic Publishers
• Pages: 429-439
• Book Title: The Dynamics of Intertextuality in Plutarch
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004427860_035
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/2982037
• Publisher URL: https://brill.com/display/book/9789004427860/BP000040.xml
• Contract Date: Jul 23, 2018