La ‘diet-etica’ di Plutarco: l’autopromozione d’autore nei precetti igienici

Abstract

In Antiquity, the question of what constitutes a healthy regimen was the object of a fi erce debate between doctors, athletic trainers, and philosophers. When writing his Precepts of Healthcare (De tuenda sanitate praecepta), Plutarch’s authority was therefore far from self-evident. As the opening dialogue of the text makes clear, the author not only reveals himself to be acutely aware of this challenge, but also eager to take it up. This article examines the nature of Plutarch’s healthcare programme, and analyses some important strategies used in order to promote this ‘diet-ethical’ advice in dialogue with competing views on healthcare.