ΚΟΣΜΟΣ and its derivatives in the Plutarchan works on love

Abstract

This paper aims to explore the different meanings of the word κόσμος and its derivatives, also looking for a unified understanding of them in the Plutarchan works on love, namely Amatorius, Amatoriae Narrationes, Coniugalia Praecepta, Mulierum Virtutes and Consolatio ad Vxorem. By analyzing first a more general and primordial meaning of ‘cosmical organization’ and then a more domestic one – that of female cosmetics –, as well as others, an attempt is made to understand Plutarch’s use of those words, as well as the moral and philosophical principles they imply.