“Come i malati di oftalmia”: funzioni e variazioni di un’immagine medica in Plutarco

Abstract

Among the large number of medical images recurring in Plutarch’s works, the one concerning visual disturbances and photophobia is often compared with ethical considerations and prac­tical instructions in the context of the topical comparison between body and mind diseases or passions (De adul. 69A, 72B; De exil. 599F; De tranq. an. 469A; De frat. am. 490C-D; De laud. ips. 543E-F; Comp. Ar. et Men. 854C). The varietas showed by Plutarch in the use of this image is a prime example of his ability for adroit adaptation of this kind of metaphors and similes to different contexts.