User:SepperFi/Plutarch (Moralia / On the Virtues of Women)

Plutarch's On the Courage of Women, (Greek: Γυναικον Αρεται, Latin: De Virtutibus Mulierum or Mulierum Virtutes), is an essay containing 27 short stories relating acts of female courage in the ancient world, probably written at the beginning of the second century AD as a part of a larger work, called Moralia. The stories are described as a list of “commonly known” acts of courage by women that have been demonstrated over many years that deserve comparison alongside men.

Contents

Title	Summary
Dedication	Plutarch dedicates the essay to Clea, stating that it is fair to write of acts of female courage, just as it is fair to compare art or poetry made by women alongside that of men. Plutarch declares that by comparing the courage of women to the courage of men, a better understanding of the concept of courage may be found.
The Trojan Women	After fleeing from the ruins of Troy and landing in Italy, the women of the refugee migration burn the ships they travelled in, in order to compel the group to settle and cease voyaging.
The Women of Phocis	While engaged in war with the Thessalians, the men of Phocis vote that if they are overcome in battle, that all the women of their city should be immolated. The women of Phocis debate the matter and vote in support of the measure.
The Women of Chios	While at war with the Erythraeans, the women of Chios convince their husbands to not honor a humiliating surrender agreement, and extol them to battle. In a later conflict, the women of Chios take up arms on the walls of their city, fighting alongside men and slaves, and successfully defend the city.
The Women of Argos	After many men are killed in a war with Sparta, the women of Argos, led by a women named Telesilla, take up arms and successfully defend their city.
The Persian Women	As Persian troops flee from Median soldiers back towards their city, the women of the city meet the fleeing soldiers and shame them into rallying and returning to battle.
The Celtic Women	During a time of great internal discord, the women of the Celtic tribes intervene between the factions and arbitrate so fairly that they earn permanent roles as diplomatic consultants.
The Women of Melos	Melian settlers on the island of Caria learn they are going to be ambushed by the local Carians at a banquet. The Melian women hide weapons in their dresses and accompany their husbands/families to the festival. The Melians are able to defeat the ambush as a result.
The Etruscan Women	After their husbands are captured by Spartans, the wives of the Etruscan men visit their husbands in captivity. They secretly switch places with the men, allowing the men to escape prison while in disguise. The Etruscan men are then able to mount a successful rebellion.
The Lycian Women	Plutarch offers four separate accounts about how the women of Lycia successfully appeal to Bellerophon to cease hostile actions against their country.
The Women of Salmantica	The city of Salmantica is besieged by Hannibal Barca, who forces all inhabitants to evacuate. The women hide swords in their dresses, which the men and some of the women then use to escape imprisonment.
The Women of Miletus	A strange madness compels all the young women of Miletus to become suicidal. A local ordinance is instituted that requires the corpses of all suicides to be paraded through the city. The fear of disgrace and shame overpowers the madness that afflicts the young women, and the suicides stop.
The Women of Ceos/Cios	The upright behavior of the unmarried women of Ceos is so consistent that there are no reports of adultery or seduction in the province for over 700 years.
The Women of Phocis	Women devotees to the god Dionysus engage in a Bacchic ritual, and in their intoxication all end up passing out in the open areas of a neighboring town. The women of the town, on their own initiative, protect the sleeping bodies of the Bacchic revelers until they awake, and then feed them and escort them safely home.
Valeria and Cloelia	The Romans offer hostages to Porsena of the Etruscans while securing a peace accord. Through a series of escapes and another attempted abduction, the women demonstrate Roman fidelity and courage, and Porsena returns them to their city.
Micca and Megisto	Aristotemus becomes despot of the city of Elis. A woman of Elis, named Micca, is executed for defying the soldiers of Aristotemus. Aristotemus attempts to put down a resulting rebellion by threatening the wives of the rebel soldiers. The wives, led by Megisto, remain defiant and foil his plans, resulting in the assassination of Aristotemus.
Pieria	In a conflict between the cities of Myus and Miletus, a young Milesian woman sees an opportunity to end the fighting by marrying a man of Myus, and does so.
Polycrite	Polycrite, a captured woman of the besieged city of Naxos, arranges for a successful liberation of the city through guile.
Lampsace	Phocians establish a colony on the land of the Bebrycians. The leader of the Bebrycians, Mandron, leaves on a mission, and his people prepare to betray the Phocians in his absence. His daughter Lapsace warns the Phocians and the trap is averted.
Aretaphilia	Aretaphilia liberates the city of Cyrene from the rule of Nicocrates, overthrowing him in the process.
Camma	Camma is a married woman and well-respected priestess of Diana. Her husband is murdered by his covetous brother, and she poisons the brother and herself in return.
Stratonica	Stratonica (unable to have children) arranges that her royal husband have a child by a concubine, to be passed off as her own child.
Chiomara	Chiomara from Galatia is captured by Romans and raped. After ransom negotiations she signals to her rescuers her desire for revenge, and her rapist is killed. Chiomara then delivers his severed head to her husband.
The Women of Pergamum	Poredorix, a leader of the Tosiopians, plots to assassinate King Mithradates. The plot is discovered and Poredorix is executed. A woman of Pergamum, against orders, tends to the body of Poredorix. Mithradates is moved by her act of love and allows her to inter the body of Poredorix.
Timoclea	Timoclea kills a captain of Alexander the Great after the captain ransacks her house. Timoclea is confronted by Alexander, but he pardons her for her courage.
Euryxo	A man named Learcus assassinates a local king and plots to marry the dead king’s wife, Euryxo. Euryxo stalls marriage proposals and eventually arranges a nighttime union between the two, which is actually a trap. Learchus is killed.
Xenocrite	Aristodemus, a despot, abuses his power to humiliate the children of Cumae out of spite for an ancient offense. He becomes enamored with a local woman, Xenocrite. Other locals are forced to endure slavery, and Xenocrite publicly declares that she would rather toil among them than marry Aristodemus. The men of Cumae are inspired to rebel, and Aristodemus is killed. Xenocrite then refuses all awards except the honor of burying Aristodemus herself. She becomes a priestess of Ceres afterwards.
The Wife of Pythes	A despot named Pythes becomes obsessed with mining gold in his province. The wives of the laborers attempt to appeal to the wife of Pythes. She arranges a feast to be made, but all the food is made from gold. Pythes enacts labor reforms. Later, Pythes is compelled by Persian emperor Xerxes to send all his sons to war. Pythes requests to retain one son as heir, but Xerxes has the remaining son executed instead. All of the other sons die in combat. Pythes falls into despair and leaves his entire city to his wife, who runs the city with great efficiency.

Analysis

Academic analysis of De Virtutibus Mulierum primarily focuses on the essay as a component of Plutarch's Moralia. Examinations include the role of tyrants in Plutarch’s work in relation to women, examinations of the role and speech of women in Plutarch, women in contrast to Plutarch’s other portrayals of women, and differences between male and female virtue in ancient Rome.

External links

• https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Plutarch/Moralia/Bravery_of_Women*/A.html
• https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Plutarch/Moralia/Bravery_of_Women*/B.html