Source edition
Plutarch. Plutarchi Chaeronensis Moralia, Vol IV. Vernardakēs, Grēgorios N., editor. Leipzig: Teubner, 1892.
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 collection of short narrative accounts detailing how intense passion, desire, and disputes over courtship spark tragic events that ultimately alter the fates of individuals and nations. Set across various regions of ancient Greece, these stories present a series of grim retributions brought about by the excesses of love. The narratives begin with conflicts over beautiful youths, where failed abductions and unintended deaths lead to historical shifts, such as the founding of Syracuse. As the work progresses, the focus shifts to how personal grievances—such as the violation of daughters or unjust banishment—trigger grand-scale retaliations. These actions lead to Sparta's defeat at the Battle of Leuctra and even catastrophic divine earthquakes. Through these episodes, the work illustrates the destructive power of uncontrolled passion and the inescapable nature of retribution.