The Myth in Plutarch's De Genio (589F–592E)

Abstract

In a former paper I endeavoured to show that the myth in Plutarch's de facie is a conscious imitation on a small scale of the Timaeus of Plato, and that therefore we might conclude that Plutarch, who regarded the Timaeus as serious philosophy, intended the main point of his own myth, the derivation of mind, soul and body from the sun, moon and earth respectively, to be taken literally. This conclusion will be equally true of the myth of the de genio, if it can be shown, first, that the two myths present what is essentially the same psychological theory, and, secondly, that there is no internal inconsistency in the myth of the de genio, such as to justify von Arnim in concluding that it consists merely of two incompatible doctrines from different sources arbitrarily placed by Plutarch in juxtaposition. The present paper is an attempt to establish these two points.

Plutarch’s Anthropology and Its Influence on His Cosmological Framework

“…13 On the myth included in Plutarch, De genio Socr. 591D-592C, see Hamilton (1934b);Verniére (1977) 126-127;Babut (1984) 69-70;Döring (1984) 382-384;Dillon (1996) 212-214;Dörrie -Baltes (2002b) The highest element in the human hierarchy is, consequently, the intellect. As such, it controls and guides the soul, assuring the direction and sound functioning of the individual 20 .…”

Spirit, Soul and Body in Nag Hammadi Literature: Distinguishing Anthropological Schemes in Valentinian, Sethian, Hermetic and Thomasine Texts

“…65 Deuse 1985, 46-47, sees in Timarchus's myth in De genio Socratis 591D a first step towards the theory exposed in De facie. Other scholars, such asHamilton 1934, 175-82 and, more recently, Vernière 1977, consider that in spite of Plutarch's confusion at the level of formulation or expression, the exposition of De Genio presents exactly the same trichotomy as that of De facie. See alsoDeuse 2010, 182-87.…”