The Greek Questions (intro-4)

In the Greek Questions, as in the Roman Questions, Plutarch endeavours to give the reason or explanation of fifty-nine matters concerned with Greek life. The vast majority of them are customs or names and, as the explanations are usually historical, they often go back to very early times. A full commentary may be found in W. R. Halliday, The Greek Questions of Plutarch (Oxford, 1928), an excellent work, embodying also much of the modern speculation in regard to primitive religion.

The sources for the information contained in this essay seem to be somewhat varied, but there is little doubt that Aristotle’s account of the numerous Greek Constitutions was Plutarch’s principal source. The matter is treated at length by Halliday.

J. J. Hartman (Mnemosyne, xii. p. 216, or De Plutarcho scriptore et philosophos p. 139) is the only modern scholar who has doubted the authenticity of the attribution to Plutarch of this work[*]; the author was not primarily interested in ethical matters, according to Hartman, and hence cannot be Plutarch. J. B. Titchener[*] has promised a discussion of this

matter, but stylistic considerations alone seem to make it uncertain whether the work is correctly attributed to Plutarch.

A few of the topics treated in the Greek Questions appear also in other works of Plutarch, but the number naturally is not large.

The ms. tradition is good; the few difficulties found are generally with single words.

The work is No. 166 in Lamprias’s list of Plutarch’s works, where the title is given as Αἰτάαι Ἑλλήνων.

Who were the dusty-feet and the directors in Epidaurus?

There were one hundred and eighty men who directed the State. From these they used to elect councillors whom they called directors. But the majority of the populace spent their life in the coun try. They were called dusty-feet [*] since, as one may conjecture, they were recognized by their dust-covered feet whenever they carne down to the city.

Who was the woman that rode on a donkey at Cumae?

Any woman taken in adultery they used to bring into the market-place and set her on a certam stone in plain sight of everyone. In like manner they then proceeded to mount her upon a donkey, and when she had been led about the circuit of the entire city, she was required again to take her stand upon the same stone, and for the rest of her life to continue in disgrace, bearing the name donkey-rider. After this ceremony they believed that the stone was unclean and they used ritually to purify it.

The citizens of Cumae had also a certain office called the Guards. The man who held this office used to watch the prison most of the time, but he

came to the nocturnal assemblies of the council and led out the kings by the hand and kept them out, until by secret ballot the council had decided on their case, whether they had done wrong or no.

Who is She that Kindles the Fire (hypekkaustria)[*] among the people of Soli?

This is the name which they give to the priestess of Athena because she performs certain sacrifices and ceremonies to avert evil.

Who were the Forgetful Ones (Amnemones) at Cnidus, and who was the Dismisser[*] (Aphester)?

They were wont to employ sixty men chosen from the nobles, and appointed for life, as overseers and preliminary advisers in matters of the greatest importance. They were called the Forgetful Ones, one might conjecture, because they could not be held to account for their actions; unless, indeed, it was because they were men who remembered many things.[*] He who asked them their opinions was the Dismisser.