| Summary: | At the end of his Adversus Colotem, Plutarch attacks the Epicurean view of politics (1124D-1127E). His starting point is a verbatim quotation from Colotes. The latter apparently concluded his polemical pamphlet with an enthusiastic appraisal of the work of early legislators. Plutarch sharply reacts by opposing the poor results of Epicurus’ thinking to the impressive accomplishments of the members of other philosophical schools.In this article, both Colotes’ Epicurean position and Plutarch’s reply are examined in detail. The different arguments are analysed one by one, and this close analysis shows that none of Plutarch’s critical arguments would ultimately convince an Epicurean. Yet many of them raise relevant questions that deserve close attention and throw an interesting light on Plutarch’s polemical strategies and philosophical views.
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