M. Sanz Morales, R. González Delgado, M. Librán Moreno & J. Ureña Bracero (eds.), La (inter)textualidad en Plutarco. Actas del XII Simposio Internacional de la Sociedad Española de Plutarquistas (Cáceres, 8-10 de octubre de 2015)

Epicurus at Plutarch’s dinner table: a tale of after-dinner sex and questionable polemics (Quaest. conv. III, 6)

“…2 Plutarch's polemical treatment of Epicureanism has attracted a lot of scholarly attention. Important studies (of aspects thereof) include, but are certainly not limited to Westman (1955); Flacelière (1959); Zacher (1982); Isnardi Parente (1988); Hershbell (1992); Boulogne (2003); Roskam (2007a);(2008);(2011);(2017a); Kechagia (2011a); Morel -Verde (2013) and Corti (2014).…”

“…Of course, the Epicurean could take a bath before going to the temple, 97 or he could even abstain from having sex altogether if he plans on bringing a sacrifice that same day. Yet, Soclarus' polemical depiction of the Epicureans does not appear to leave room for that sort of nuance: his stereotypical Epicurean is unafraid to desecrate the temples of the gods, and is continuously gratifying his desire 91 For the connection between sexual intercourse and ritual pollution, see Parker (1983), 74-103. 92 SEG IX 72.11.…”