Saggi scelti di Plutarco, vol. II

‘But the Author in whom he delighted most was Plutarch, of whose works he was lucky enough to possess the worthier half; if the other had perished Plutarch would not have been a popular writer, but he would have held a higher place in the estimation of the judicious.’—SOUTHEY, _The Doctor_, chapter vi, p. 1. OXFORD AT THE CLARENDON PRESS PREFACE This volume covers about one-eighth part of the miscellaneous works of Plutarch known as the _Moralia_, much the same quantity as is contained in Professor Tucker’s volume of this series which appeared in 1913. All the pieces now offered are in the form of dialogue, except the short treatise _On Superstition_, which seemed to justify its inclusion by a certain affinity of thought. The text followed is that of Wyttenbach, issued by the Clarendon Press in 1795-1800, or rather a text compounded of the Greek text there printed, his own critical notes and revision of the old Latin version, his commentary, where one exists, and his posthumous Index of Greek words used by Plutarch (1830). A few corrections by C. F. Hermann, Emperius, Madvig, and other scholars, have been introduced, for many of which I am indebted, in the first place, as I have acknowledged more particularly, to M. G. N. Bernardakis, the accomplished editor of the _Moralia_ in the Teubner series (1888-96). A very few fresh corrections, mostly on obvious points, have been admitted.…