About this Event
Join writer and historian Raphaëla Dubreuil for a presentation of her research on Plutarch’s Parallel Lives, which focuses on the use of theatre as a metaphor for politics and history. All biographies in Plutarch’s Parallel Lives mention the theatre. While others have noticed its ubiquity, Dubreuil is the first to argue that these metaphors and similes of the stage are a means to describe, explore and evaluate Greek and Roman politics and history as it unfolds.
An orator turns to an actor for advice, citizens expect assemblies to unfold like dramas, and a theatre-goer cries at a play thinking of his fallen enemy: no life escapes the mention of theatrical imagery in Plutarch’s parallel biographies. Dubreuil is the first to examine Plutarch’s consistent and coherent use of this imagery and debate that it is systematically employed to describe, explore, and evaluate politics in action.
The theatre, however, is not a simple gimmick, nor is its use formulaic. Rather, Plutarch’s multifaceted metaphors and similes evolve with his subjects. He draws on different aspects of the theatre to explore a diverse political landscape across several Mediterranean cultures and histories. No two peoples are theatrical in quite the same way, even when comparing two Greek city-states. The theatre becomes Plutarch’s invitation for us to question and uncover key moments of Athenian, Spartan, and Roman history as it unfolds.
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
The Hellenic Centre, 16-18 Paddington Street, London, United Kingdom
GBP 2.88 to GBP 3.96
