Geert Roskam is Professor of Greek language and literature at KU Leuven.

R.'s work is clear and in virtually flawless English. The commentary is prudent and informative, and one can imagine the enormous work involved in tracking down all the references both within and without Plutarch's corpus. R. displays a vast knowledge of the secondary literature, even to a pinch of pedantry. On textual matters, he is cautious and respectful but critical of many fanciful conjectures, especially of Barigazzi. Several times he demonstrates the impossibility of suggested conjectures to this difficult text and refrains from making his own. [...]This is an excellent book and R. deserves credit for producing a work of the highest quality, with mastery of the text, the philosophical tradition, and the secondary literature.Frederick E. Brenk, Gnomon Bd. 84, 2012, issue 3

• AcknowledgementsAbbreviationsIntroduction1. The first steps in the analysis of Maxime cum principibus1.1. The author1.1.1. A rich political career1.1.2. Heir of an old tradition1.2. The work1.2.1. A difficult text1.2.2. The literary genre of Maxime cum principibus 1.2.3. The date of Maxime cum principibus 2. Two further stepping-stones 2.1. Plutarch's evaluation of the political position of his philosophical predecessors2.1.1. Introduction2.1.2. The Presocratics2.1.3. Socrates2.1.4. Plato2.1.5. The Academy2.1.6. Aristotle2.1.7. The Peripatetics2.1.8. Provisional conclusions2.1.9. Philosophical opponents2.1.10. Conclusion2.2. Consistency, again and again 3. Plutarch's argument in Maxime cum principibus 3.1. The philosopher's φιλοκαλία: humane behaviour for the benefit of the whole community (776a-777b)3.2. Friendship as the final end of human λόγος (777b-778b)3.3. The pleasures of the πολιτικὸς φιλόσοφος (778b-f)3.4. Some concrete examples of φιλοκαλία (779a-c)3.5. Conclusion: Plutarch's political philosophy in Maxime cum principibus 3.5.1. Friendship between the philosopher and the ruler as one of Plutarch's political ideals3.5.2. Plutarch and power: the philosopher's escape from a harsh reality3.5.3. Plutarch's political philosophy in Maxime cum principibus: a schematic survey3.6. Schematic structure of Maxime cum principibus CommentaryBibliographyIndicesIndex nominum Index locorum

Geert Roskam is Professor of Greek language and literature at KU Leuven.

R.'s work is clear and in virtually flawless English. The commentary is prudent and informative, and one can imagine the enormous work involved in tracking down all the references both within and without Plutarch's corpus. R. displays a vast knowledge of the secondary literature, even to a pinch of pedantry. On textual matters, he is cautious and respectful but critical of many fanciful conjectures, especially of Barigazzi. Several times he demonstrates the impossibility of suggested conjectures to this difficult text and refrains from making his own. [...]This is an excellent book and R. deserves credit for producing a work of the highest quality, with mastery of the text, the philosophical tradition, and the secondary literature.Frederick E. Brenk, Gnomon Bd. 84, 2012, issue 3

• AcknowledgementsAbbreviationsIntroduction1. The first steps in the analysis of Maxime cum principibus1.1. The author1.1.1. A rich political career1.1.2. Heir of an old tradition1.2. The work1.2.1. A difficult text1.2.2. The literary genre of Maxime cum principibus 1.2.3. The date of Maxime cum principibus 2. Two further stepping-stones 2.1. Plutarch's evaluation of the political position of his philosophical predecessors2.1.1. Introduction2.1.2. The Presocratics2.1.3. Socrates2.1.4. Plato2.1.5. The Academy2.1.6. Aristotle2.1.7. The Peripatetics2.1.8. Provisional conclusions2.1.9. Philosophical opponents2.1.10. Conclusion2.2. Consistency, again and again 3. Plutarch's argument in Maxime cum principibus 3.1. The philosopher's φιλοκαλία: humane behaviour for the benefit of the whole community (776a-777b)3.2. Friendship as the final end of human λόγος (777b-778b)3.3. The pleasures of the πολιτικὸς φιλόσοφος (778b-f)3.4. Some concrete examples of φιλοκαλία (779a-c)3.5. Conclusion: Plutarch's political philosophy in Maxime cum principibus 3.5.1. Friendship between the philosopher and the ruler as one of Plutarch's political ideals3.5.2. Plutarch and power: the philosopher's escape from a harsh reality3.5.3. Plutarch's political philosophy in Maxime cum principibus: a schematic survey3.6. Schematic structure of Maxime cum principibus CommentaryBibliographyIndicesIndex nominum Index locorum

Geert Roskam is Professor of Greek language and literature at KU Leuven.

R.'s work is clear and in virtually flawless English. The commentary is prudent and informative, and one can imagine the enormous work involved in tracking down all the references both within and without Plutarch's corpus. R. displays a vast knowledge of the secondary literature, even to a pinch of pedantry. On textual matters, he is cautious and respectful but critical of many fanciful conjectures, especially of Barigazzi. Several times he demonstrates the impossibility of suggested conjectures to this difficult text and refrains from making his own. [...]This is an excellent book and R. deserves credit for producing a work of the highest quality, with mastery of the text, the philosophical tradition, and the secondary literature.Frederick E. Brenk, Gnomon Bd. 84, 2012, issue 3

• AcknowledgementsAbbreviationsIntroduction1. The first steps in the analysis of Maxime cum principibus1.1. The author1.1.1. A rich political career1.1.2. Heir of an old tradition1.2. The work1.2.1. A difficult text1.2.2. The literary genre of Maxime cum principibus 1.2.3. The date of Maxime cum principibus 2. Two further stepping-stones 2.1. Plutarch's evaluation of the political position of his philosophical predecessors2.1.1. Introduction2.1.2. The Presocratics2.1.3. Socrates2.1.4. Plato2.1.5. The Academy2.1.6. Aristotle2.1.7. The Peripatetics2.1.8. Provisional conclusions2.1.9. Philosophical opponents2.1.10. Conclusion2.2. Consistency, again and again 3. Plutarch's argument in Maxime cum principibus 3.1. The philosopher's φιλοκαλία: humane behaviour for the benefit of the whole community (776a-777b)3.2. Friendship as the final end of human λόγος (777b-778b)3.3. The pleasures of the πολιτικὸς φιλόσοφος (778b-f)3.4. Some concrete examples of φιλοκαλία (779a-c)3.5. Conclusion: Plutarch's political philosophy in Maxime cum principibus 3.5.1. Friendship between the philosopher and the ruler as one of Plutarch's political ideals3.5.2. Plutarch and power: the philosopher's escape from a harsh reality3.5.3. Plutarch's political philosophy in Maxime cum principibus: a schematic survey3.6. Schematic structure of Maxime cum principibus CommentaryBibliographyIndicesIndex nominum Index locorum