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Complete Works of Plutarch — Volume 3: Essays and Miscellanies

Plutarch · Public domain text

274,992 words · about 19 h 15 min to read

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The text of Complete Works of Plutarch — Volume 3: Essays and Miscellanies comes from Project Gutenberg e-text #3052. It is in English and public domain in the United States. Project Gutenberg’s header and license text are removed, and RedLectern sets the text out for reading on screen; no words of the book are rewritten or summarized. More formats (EPUB, Kindle) · How RedLectern is built

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About this book

Author
Plutarch (46–119)
Language
English
Subjects
Classical literature, Essays, Philosophy, Ethics, Homer
Length
274,992 words · about 19 h 15 min
Sections
142 reader sections · Table of contents

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Contents (142)
  1. Opening about 1 h 19 min
  2. Book I about 2 min
  3. I. WHAT IS NATURE? about 1 min
  4. II. WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A PRINCIPLE AND AN ELEMENT? about 1 min
  5. III. WHAT ARE PRINCIPLES? about 8 min
  6. IV. HOW WAS THIS WORLD COMPOSED IN THAT ORDER AND AFTER THAT MANNER IT IS? about 2 min
  7. V. WHETHER THE UNIVERSE IS ONE SINGLE THING about 1 min
  8. VI. WHENCE DID MEN OBTAIN THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE EXISTENCE AND ESSENCE OF A DEITY? about 4 min
  9. VII. WHAT IS GOD? about 5 min
  10. VIII. OF THOSE THAT ARE CALLED GENIUSES AND HEROES under 1 min
  11. IX. OF MATTER about 1 min
  12. X. OF IDEAS under 1 min
  13. XI. OF CAUSES under 1 min
  14. XII. OF BODIES about 1 min
  15. XIII. OF THOSE THINGS THAT ARE LEAST IN NATURE under 1 min
  16. XIV. OF FIGURES under 1 min
  17. XV. OF COLORS under 1 min
  18. XVI. OF THE DIVISION OF BODIES under 1 min
  19. XVII. HOW BODIES ARE MIXED AND CONTEMPERATED ONE WITH ANOTHER under 1 min
  20. XVIII. OF A VACUUM under 1 min
  21. XIX. OF PLACE under 1 min
  22. XX. OF SPACE under 1 min
  23. XXI. OF TIME under 1 min
  24. XXII. OF THE SUBSTANCE AND NATURE OF TIME under 1 min
  25. XXIII. OF MOTION under 1 min
  26. XXIV. OF GENERATION AND CORRUPTION about 1 min
  27. XXV. OF NECESSITY under 1 min
  28. XXVI. OF THE NATURE OF NECESSITY under 1 min
  29. XXVII. OF DESTINY OR FATE under 1 min
  30. XXVIII. OF THE NATURE OF FATE about 1 min
  31. XXIX. OF FORTUNE about 1 min
  32. XXX. OF NATURE under 1 min
  33. Book II under 1 min
  34. I. OF THE WORLD about 1 min
  35. II. OF THE FIGURE OF THE WORLD under 1 min
  36. III. WHETHER THE WORLD BE AN ANIMAL about 1 min
  37. IV. WHETHER THE WORLD IS ETERNAL AND INCORRUPTIBLE under 1 min
  38. V. WHENCE DOES THE WORLD RECEIVE ITS NUTRIMENT? under 1 min
  39. VI. FROM WHAT ELEMENT GOD DID BEGIN TO RAISE THE FABRIC OF THE WORLD about 1 min
  40. VII. IN WHAT FORM AND ORDER THE WORLD WAS COMPOSED about 1 min
  41. VIII. WHAT IS THE CAUSE OF THE WORLD'S INCLINATION under 1 min
  42. IX. OF THAT THING WHICH IS BEYOND THE WORLD, AND WHETHER IT BE A VACUUM OR NOT under 1 min
  43. X. WHAT PARTS OF THE WORLD ARE ON THE RIGHT HAND, AND WHAT ON THE LEFT under 1 min
  44. XI. OF HEAVEN, WHAT IS ITS NATURE AND ESSENCE under 1 min
  45. XII. INTO HOW MANY CIRCLES IS THE HEAVEN DISTINGUISHED; OR, OF THE DIVISION OF HEAVEN about 1 min
  46. XIII. WHAT IS THE ESSENCE OF THE STARS, AND HOW THEY ARE COMPOSED about 1 min
  47. XIV. OF WHAT FIGURE THE STARS ARE under 1 min
  48. XV. OF THE ORDER AND PLACE OF THE STARS about 1 min
  49. XVI. OF THE MOTION AND CIRCULATION OF THE STARS under 1 min
  50. XVII. WHENCE DO THE STARS RECEIVE THEIR LIGHT? under 1 min
  51. XVIII. WHAT ARE THOSE STARS WHICH ARE CALLED THE DIOSCURI, THE TWINS, OR CASTOR AND POLLUX? under 1 min
  52. XIX. HOW STARS PROGNOSTICATE, AND WHAT IS THE CAUSE OF WINTER AND SUMMER under 1 min
  53. XX. OF THE ESSENCE OF THE SUN about 2 min
  54. XXI. OF THE MAGNITUDE OF THE SUN under 1 min
  55. XXII. WHAT IS THE FIGURE OR SHAPE OF THE SUN under 1 min
  56. XXIII. OF THE TURNING AND RETURNING OF THE STARS, OR THE SUMMER AND WINTER SOLSTICE about 1 min
  57. XXIV. OF THE ECLIPSE OF THE SUN about 1 min
  58. XXV. OF THE ESSENCE OF THE MOON about 1 min
  59. XXVI. OF THE SIZE OF THE MOON under 1 min
  60. XXVII. OF THE FIGURE OF THE MOON under 1 min
  61. XXVIII. FROM WHENCE IS IT THAT THE MOON RECEIVES HER LIGHT? about 1 min
  62. XXIX. OF THE ECLIPSE OF THE MOON about 1 min
  63. XXX. OF THE PHASES OF THE MOON, OR THE LUNAR ASPECTS; OR HOW IT COMES TO PASS THAT THE MOON APPEARS TO US TERRESTRIAL about 1 min
  64. XXXI. HOW FAR THE MOON IS REMOVED FROM THE SUN under 1 min
  65. XXXII. OF THE YEAR, AND HOW MANY CIRCULATIONS MAKE UP THE GREAT YEAR OF EVERY PLANET under 1 min
  66. Book III under 1 min
  67. I. OF THE GALAXY, OR THE MILKY WAY about 1 min
  68. II. OF COMETS AND SHOOTING FIRES, AND THOSE WHICH RESEMBLE BEAMS about 2 min
  69. IV. OF CLOUDS, RAIN, SNOW, AND HAIL under 1 min
  70. V. OF THE RAINBOW about 2 min
  71. VI. OF METEORS WHICH RESEMBLE RODS, OR OF RODS under 1 min
  72. VII. OF WINDS about 1 min
  73. VIII. OF WINTER AND SUMMER under 1 min
  74. IX. OF THE EARTH, WHAT IS ITS NATURE AND MAGNITUDE under 1 min
  75. X. OF THE FIGURE OF THE EARTH under 1 min
  76. XI. OF THE SITE AND POSITION OF THE EARTH under 1 min
  77. XII. OF THE INCLINATION OF THE EARTH under 1 min
  78. XIII. OF THE MOTION OF THE EARTH about 1 min
  79. XIV. INTO HOW MANY ZONES IS THE EARTH DIVIDED? under 1 min
  80. XV. OF EARTHQUAKES about 2 min
  81. XVI. OF THE SEA, AND HOW IT IS COMPOSED, AND HOW IT BECOMES TO THE TASTE BITTER about 1 min
  82. XVII. OF TIDES, OR OF THE EBBING AND FLOWING OF THE SEA about 1 min
  83. XVIII. OF THE AUREA, OR A CIRCLE ABOUT A STAR under 1 min
  84. Book IV under 1 min
  85. I. OF THE OVERFLOWING OF THE NILE about 1 min
  86. II. OF THE SOUL under 1 min
  87. III. WHETHER THE SOUL BE A BODY, AND WHAT IS THE NATURE AND ESSENCE OF IT about 1 min
  88. IV. OF THE PARTS OF THE SOUL about 1 min
  89. V. WHAT IS THE PRINCIPAL PART OF THE SOUL, AND IN WHAT PART OF THE BODY IT RESIDES about 1 min
  90. VI. OF THE MOTION OF THE SOUL under 1 min
  91. VII. OF THE SOUL'S IMMORTALITY about 1 min
  92. VIII. OF THE SENSES, AND OF THOSE THINGS WHICH ARE OBJECTS OF THE SENSES, about 1 min
  93. IX. WHETHER WHAT APPEARS TO OUR SENSES AND IMAGINATIONS BE TRUE OR NOT under 1 min
  94. X. HOW MANY SENSES ARE THERE? about 3 min
  95. XIII. OF OUR SIGHT, AND BY WHAT MEANS WE SEE about 1 min
  96. XIV. OF THOSE IMAGES WHICH ARE PRESENTED TO OUR EYES IN MIRRORS about 1 min
  97. XV. WHETHER DARKNESS CAN BE VISIBLE TO US under 1 min
  98. XVI. OF HEARING under 1 min
  99. XVII. OF SMELLING under 1 min
  100. XVIII. OF TASTE under 1 min
  101. XIX. OF THE VOICE about 2 min
  102. XX. WHETHER THE VOICE IS INCORPOREAL. WHAT IS IT THAT THE GIVES ECHO? about 1 min
  103. XXI. BY WHAT MEANS THE SOUL IS SENSIBLE, AND WHAT IS THE PRINCIPAL AND COMMANDING PART OF IT about 1 min
  104. XXII. OF RESPIRATION OR BREATHING about 3 min
  105. I. OF DIVINATION under 1 min
  106. II. WHENCE DREAMS DO ARISE about 1 min
  107. III. OF THE NATURE OF GENERATIVE SEED under 1 min
  108. IV. WHETHER THE SPERM BE A BODY under 1 min
  109. V. WHETHER WOMEN DO GIVE A SPERMATIC EMISSION AS MEN DO under 1 min
  110. VI. HOW IT IS THAT CONCEPTIONS ARE MADE under 1 min
  111. VII. AFTER WHAT MANNER MALES AND FEMALES ARE GENERATED about 1 min
  112. VIII. BY WHAT MEANS IT IS THAT MONSTROUS BIRTHS ARE EFFECTED under 1 min
  113. IX. HOW IT COMES TO PASS THAT A WOMAN'S TOO FREQUENT CONVERSATION WITH A MAN HINDERS CONCEPTION about 1 min
  114. X. WHENCE IT IS THAT ONE BIRTH GIVES TWO OR THREE CHILDREN about 1 min
  115. XI. WHENCE IT IS THAT CHILDREN REPRESENT THEIR PARENTS AND PROGENITORS about 1 min
  116. XII. HOW IT COMES TO PASS THAT CHILDREN HAVE A GREATER SIMILITUDE WITH STRANGERS THAN WITH THEIR PARENTS under 1 min
  117. XIII. WHENCE ARISETH BARRENNESS IN WOMEN, AND IMPOTENCY IN MEN? about 1 min
  118. XIV. HOW IT ARISES THAT MULES ARE BARREN about 1 min
  119. XV. WHETHER THE INFANT IN THE MOTHER'S WOMB BE AN ANIMAL about 1 min
  120. XVI. HOW EMBRYOS ARE NOURISHED, OR HOW THE INFANT IN THE BELLY RECEIVES ITS ALIMENT under 1 min
  121. XVII. WHAT PART OF THE BODY IS FIRST FORMED IN THE WOMB under 1 min
  122. XVIII. WHENCE IS IT THAT INFANTS BORN IN THE SEVENTH MONTH ARE BORN ALIVE about 4 min
  123. XXI. WHAT TIME IS REQUIRED TO SHAPE THE PARTS OF ANIMALS IN THE WOMB under 1 min
  124. XXII. OF WHAT ELEMENTS EACH OF THE MEMBERS OF US MEN IS COMPOSED under 1 min
  125. XXIII. WHAT ARE THE CAUSES OF SLEEP AND DEATH? about 1 min
  126. XXIV. WHEN AND FROM WHENCE THE PERFECTION OF A MAN COMMENCES under 1 min
  127. XXV. WHETHER SLEEP OR DEATH APPERTAINS TO THE SOUL OR BODY about 1 min
  128. XXVI. HOW PLANTS INCREASE about 1 min
  129. XXVII. OF NUTRITION AND GROWTH under 1 min
  130. XXVIII. WHENCE IT IS THAT IN ANIMALS THERE ARE APPETITES AND PLEASURES under 1 min
  131. XXIX. WHAT IS THE CAUSE OF A FEVER, OR WHETHER IT IS AN AFFECTION OF THE BODY ANNEXED TO A PRIMARY PASSION about 1 min
  132. XXX. OF HEALTH, SICKNESS, AND OLD AGE about 5 min
  133. Book 1 about 43 min
  134. Book II about 41 min
  135. Book III about 39 min
  136. Book IV about 35 min
  137. Book V about 35 min
  138. Book VI about 34 min
  139. Book VII about 50 min
  140. Book VIII about 50 min
  141. Book IX (part 1 of 2) about 6 h 57 min
  142. Book IX (part 2 of 2) about 3 h 52 min

The opening of Book I

It being our determination to discourse of Natural Philosophy, we judge it necessary, in the first place and chiefly, to divide the body of philosophy into its proper members, so that we may know what is that which is called philosophy, and what part of it is physical, or the explanation of natural things. The Stoics affirm that wisdom is the knowledge of things human and divine; that philosophy is the pursuit of that art which is convenient to this knowledge; that virtue is the sole and sovereign art which is thus convenient; and this distributes itself into three general parts--natural, moral, and logical. By which just reason (they say) philosophy is tripartite; of which one natural, the other moral, the third logical. The natural when our inquiries are concerning the world and all things contained in it; the ethical is the employment of our minds in those things which concern the manners of man's life; the logical (which they also call dialectical) regulates our conversation with others in speaking. Aristotle, Theophrastus, and after them almost all the Peripatetics give the same division of philosophy.

Read on in Part 1 →

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