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    Published : 2026-06-01
    Vol. 74 No. 3 (2026)

    Interpretations of Myths in the Writings of Plutarch of Chaeronea

    Andrzej Korczak

    https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2563-9201

    Krzysztof Narecki

    https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0384-3698

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.18290/rh26743.3

    Abstract

    The article presents Plutarch’s complex views on the content of the myths that appear in some of the Chaeronean’s writings. The exegete notices a variety of myths that forces different methods of their interpretation. On the one hand, he finds Plato’s Theory of Ideas in myths, but on the other hand, he cites interpretations related to traditional piety. At the same time, he follows the interpretations of Egyptian sages, which lead one to see esoteric truths in myths. This is possible because Plutarch employs an allegorical interpretation of many myths, considering that there is no fundamental difference between the mentality of Egyptians and Greeks. Allegorical interpretations lead him to mystical anthropology and the Neoplatonic theory of the cosmos, although the writer is aware of possible abuses of the allegorical method. Thanks to the diversity of interpretations, Plutarch’s theory of myths is a very good introduction to the philosophical views and culture of his time.

    Keywords:

    Plutarch of Chaeronea, Plutarch’s writings, myths, interpretation



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    Roczniki Humanistyczne · ISSN 0035-7707 | eISSN 2544-5200 | DOI: 10.18290/rh
    © The Learned Society of the John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin & The John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, Faculty of Humanities

    Articles are licensed under a Creative Commons  Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)