Plotting Alcibiades’ Downfall: Plutarch’s use of his historical sources in Ale, 35.1-36.5

Abstract

Plutarch’s account of the first stage of Alcibiades’ final downfall {Ale. 35.1-36.5) is especially suitable for a study of the biographer’s use of his historical sources because we can compare it not only with Xenophon’s Historia Graeca and several texts that are directly related to Theopompus’ Hellenica and/or Ephorus’ Historiae (viz Hellenica Oxyrhynchia; Diodorus Siculus; Cornelius Nepos’ Alcibiades), but also with Lys. 5.1-4. By means of both kinds of comparisons, I try to demonstrate that Plutarch has carefully constructed his story so that Ale. 35.1-36.5 would constitute a coherent whole and Alcibiades’ downfall would appear tragic.