NATURAL SPECTACULARS

The value of Plutarch''s perception of physical reality and his attitude towards the natural spectacle.
Plutarch was very interested in the natural world around him, not only in terms of its elementary composition and physical processes, but als
o with respect to its providential ordering and ''wonders''. His writings teach us a lot about his perception of physical reality and about his attitude to the natural spectacle. He found his greatest inspiration in the ontological and epistemologica
l framework of Plato''s Timaeus, but a wide range of other authors were also of seminal interest to his project. Clearly, the highly literary value of Plutarch''s natural philosophical writings should not be underrated.
It is therefore not surpr
ising that recently scholars have started to reassess the ancient scientific value of Plutarch''s natural philosophical writings. Natural Spectaculars aims to give further impetus to this dynamic by treating several aspects of Plutarch''s natural phi
losophy which have remained unexplored up to now.

Contributors:
Jan Opsomer (KU Leuven), Suzan Sierksma-Agteres (Rijksuniversiteit Groningen), Angelo Casanova (Universita degli Studi di Firenze), Paola Volpe Cacciatore (Universita degli
Studi di Salerno), Aldo Setaioli (Universita degli Studi di Perugia), Fabio Tanga (Universita degli Studi di Salerno), Michiel Meeusen (KU Leuven), Luisa Lesage Garriga (Universidad de Malaga), Ana Ferreira (Universidade do Porto), Israel Munoz Galla
rte (Universidad de Cordoba), Lautaro Roig Lanzillotta (Rijksuniversiteit Groningen), Bram Demulder (KU Leuven), Aurelio Perez Jimenez (Universidad de Malaga), Delfim Ferreira Leao (Universidade de Coimbra)