Source edition
Plutarch. Plutarchi Chaeronensis Moralia, Vol I. Vernardakēs, Grēgorios N, editor. Leipzig: Teubner, 1888.
Source data
Perseus Digital Library · CC BY-SA (per Perseus's terms)
Cloned and adapted by Humanitext, with ongoing edits.
Summary
This work is a consolatory letter addressed to Apollonius, who has lost his young son, urging him to restrain his excessive grief and accept death through reason. The author advocates the concept of "metriopatheia" (moderation of passions) and argues that the vicissitudes of fortune and the hardships of life are inevitable. Drawing extensively on the philosophy of Socrates and Plato, the poetry of Homer, and various historical anecdotes, the text demonstrates from multiple perspectives that death is not an evil but rather a release from worldly suffering and a liberation of the soul. In the latter half, the author highlights the noble examples of ancient sages who endured the loss of their children with equanimity, praises the virtues of Apollonius' deceased son, and envisions the soul's blessed afterlife. Ultimately, the letter concludes by exhorting Apollonius to abandon futile mourning, conform to the laws of nature, and restore his own well-being.