Phillip Lewis

Projects

• Plutarch’s Conception of the “Reformer” in the Quartet of Lives

  Plutarch of Chaeronea (c. 45-125 AD) portrays the Spartan reform kings Agis IV and
  Cleomenes III alongside the Gracchi in his “Quartet of Lives.” All four protagonists are
  generally regarded as “reformers.” However, this label is a projection of modern scholarly
  discourse. Plutarch does not, in fact, use terms that characterize the four figures as “reformers”
  in the modern sense. Rather, Plutarch’s portrayal emphasizes their efforts to restore a
  supposedly original political order.
  A study that critically examines the concept of the “reformer” in Plutarch’s Quartet of Lives
  remains a desideratum. This research project aims to fill that gap. It therefore addresses the
  question of how Plutarch conceptualizes these supposed reformers and the political
  transformations associated with them in his Quartet of Lives — that is, under what conditions
  he considers them to succeed, why they fail, and how he evaluates their actions.