AcknowledgementsNote to the ReaderIntroduction1. Plutarch and Rhetoric2. A ‘conversion’ from rhetoric to philosophy?3. The texts at issue and related problems4. The analytical scope of the present studyTeaching and Persuasion1. Introduction2. Philosophical teaching: its content and political dimension3. Persuasion in the service of teaching4. Examples of individuals who persuade and teach5. Parrhesia and trust6. ConclusionCharacter and Speech1. Introduction2. Character as a means of persuasion3. The subsidiary role of rhetoric4. ConclusionRhetoric and Beneficence1. Introduction2. Other means of exercising power3. Rhetoric in place of beneficence4. Why rhetoric?5. ConclusionThe Philosopher and the Sophists1. Introduction2. The critique of the sophists3. The direct confrontation in the lecture hall4. The indirect confrontation in the political arena5. The reception of the confrontation in subsequent generations6. ConclusionConclusionBibliographyIndex LocorumIndex Nominum et RerumA fundamental reappraisal of Plutarch’s attitude towards rhetoric.Plutarch was not only a skilled writer, but also lived during the Second Sophistic, a period of cultural renaissance. This book offers new insights into Plutarch’s seemingly moderate attitude towards rhetoric. The hypothesis explored in this study introduces, for the first time, the broader literary and cultural contexts that influenced and restricted the scope of Plutarch’s message. When these contexts are considered, a new perspective emerges that differs from that found in earlier studies. It paints a picture of a philosopher who may not regard rhetoric as a lesser means of persuasion, but who faces challenges in openly articulating this stance in his public discourse.