Pseudo-Plutarch is the conventional name given to the actual, but unknown, authors of a number of

pseudepigrapha Pseudepigrapha (also anglicized as "pseudepigraph" or "pseudepigraphs") are falsely attributed works, texts whose claimed author is not the true author, or a work whose real author attributed it to a figure of the past.Bauckham, Richard; "Pse ...

(falsely attributed works) attributed to

Plutarch Plutarch (; grc-gre, Πλούταρχος, ''Ploútarchos''; ; – after AD 119) was a Greek Middle Platonist philosopher, historian, biographer, essayist, and priest at the Temple of Apollo in Delphi. He is known primarily for hi ...

but now known to have not been written by him. Some of these works were included in some editions of Plutarch's '' Moralia''. Among these are: *the ''Lives of the Ten Orators'' ( grc, Βίοι τῶν δέκα ῥητόρων;

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through ...

: ''Vitae decem oratorum''), biographies of the Ten Orators of ancient

Athens Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates a ...

, based on

Caecilius of Calacte Caecilius of Calacte was a rhetorician and literary critic active in Rome during the reign of Augustus. The main source of information about Caecilius' life is the Suda, which says that he was from Sicily, originally called Archagathus, possib ...

, possibly deriving from a common source with the ''Lives'' of

Photius Photios I ( el, Φώτιος, ''Phōtios''; c. 810/820 – 6 February 893), also spelled PhotiusFr. Justin Taylor, essay "Canon Law in the Age of the Fathers" (published in Jordan Hite, T.O.R., & Daniel J. Ward, O.S.B., "Readings, Cases, Materia ...

*''The Doctrines of the Philosophers'' ( grc, Περὶ τῶν ἀρεσκόντων φιλοσόφοις φυσικῶν δογμάτων; Latin: ''Placita Philosophorum'') *''De Musica'' (''On Music'') *''Parallela Minora'' (''Minor Parallels'') *''Pro Nobilitate'' (''Noble Lineage'') *''De Fluviorum et Montium Nominibus'' (''About the Names of Rivers and Mountains''/''On Rivers''; Greek: Περὶ ποταμῶν καὶ ὀρῶν ἐπωνυμίας) *''De Homero'' (''On

Homer Homer (; grc, Ὅμηρος , ''Hómēros'') (born ) was a Greek poet who is credited as the author of the ''Iliad'' and the ''Odyssey'', two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Homer is considered one of the ...

'') *''De Unius in Re Publica Dominatione'' (''On the Rule of One in the Republic'') *''Consolatio ad Apollonium'' (''Consolation to Apollonius'') These works date to slightly later than Plutarch, but almost all of them date to

Late Antiquity Late antiquity is the time of transition from classical antiquity to the Middle Ages, generally spanning the 3rd–7th century in Europe and adjacent areas bordering the Mediterranean Basin. The popularization of this periodization in English h ...

(3rd to 4th century AD). D. Blank has recently shown that ''Pro Nobilitate'' was written by Arnoul Le Ferron (''Arnoldus Ferronus'') and first published in 1556. One pseudepigraphal philosophical work, ''De Fato'' (''On Fate''; included in editions of Plutarch's ''Moralia''), is thought to be a 2nd-century Middle Platonic work. ''

Stromateis The ''Stromata'' ( el, Στρώματα), a mistake for ''Stromateis'' (Στρωματεῖς, "Patchwork," i.e., ''Miscellanies''), attributed to Clement of Alexandria (c. 150 – c. 215), is the third of a trilogy of works regarding the Chris ...

'' (Στρωματεῖς, "Patchwork"), an important source for

pre-Socratic philosophy Pre-Socratic philosophy, also known as early Greek philosophy, is ancient Greek philosophy before Socrates. Pre-Socratic philosophers were mostly interested in cosmology, the beginning and the substance of the universe, but the inquiries of th ...

, is also falsely ascribed to Plutarch. Some works ascribed to Plutarch are likely of medieval origin, such as the
Letter to Trajan
"

References

Sources

*Aalders G. J. D. "Plutarch or Pseudo-Plutarch? The authorship of De unius in re publica dominatione" '' Mnemosyne'' XXXV (1982):72-83. *Boscherini, S. 1985 "A proposito della tradizione del Pro nobilitate pseudo-plutarcheo" in R. Cardini, E. Garin, L. C. Martinelli, G. Pascucci, eds., ''Tradizione classica e letteratura umanistica. Per Alessandro Perosa''. Vol.I. II. (Humanistica.3.4.). (Roma): 651-660. *Conti Bizzarro, Ferruccio "Note a Ps.-Plutarch. de musica" ''MCr'' 29 (1994): 259-261. *Hillgruber, Michael 1994 ''Die pseudoplutarchische Schrift De Homero''. (Stuttgart). *Jurado, E.A. Ramos "Quaestiones ps.-Plutarcheae" in Pérez Jimenez 1990:123-126. *Seeliger, Friedrich Konrad 1874 ''De Dionysio Halicarnassensi Plutarchi qui vulgo fertur in vitis decem oratorum auctore''. Dissertation—Leipzig. (Budissae). *Smith, Rebekah M. 1992 "Photius on the ten orators" ''GRBS'' 33: 59-189. *Tieleman, Teun 1991 "Diogenes of Babylon and Stoic embryology: Ps. Plutarch, Plac. V 15.4 reconsidered." ''Mnemosyne'' 44:106-125.

External links

Bibliography on Plutarch
* Complete text of the ''Placita''
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{{Authority control Ancient Greek pseudepigrapha Latin pseudepigrapha Plutarch Unidentified people