Fire metaphors in Plutarch’s Late Republican <i>Lives</i>

ABSTRACT In this article, I will investigate how Plutarch uses fire metaphors to conceptualize physical and psychological realities mainly related to the exercise of power in the Lives belonging to the Late Republic and their parallel Lives. I will show how Plutarch uses fire as a source domain to represent the target domains of war and conflict, anger, ambition, and warlike ardour, and erotic desire. I will point out the similarities and differences in such uses to illustrate how these target domains do or do not overlap. My aim is to show how fire metaphors contribute to Plutarch’s evaluation of his heroes, further illuminating the light and shade through which he famously characterizes his protagonists. Since the Lives programmatically provides its readers with models to follow and to avoid, a new understanding of Plutarch’s fire metaphors will also contribute to an improved perception of Plutarch’s protreptic purpose as regards the way his readers should handle the most burning emotions in the system of imperial authority and power. As people hopefully engaged in a long-lasting and noteworthy political career in this system, Plutarch wanted them educated in how to handle and exploit such emotions.