Reconciliation and Civil War in Plutarch’s "Life of Pompey"

Reconciliation is a central theme in Plutarch’s political reflections, prominently discussed in his treatise Praecepta gerendae reipublicae. In this work, Plutarch criticizes the competitive nature of the aristocrats of his own time, which often led to factional conflicts (στάσεις) necessitating Roman intervention. Thus, he advocates for reconciliation as a proactive strategy to prevent warfare and maintain state harmony (ὁμόνοια). These considerations are crucial for interpreting certain passages in the Life of Pompey, where Plutarch reflects in depth on the dynamics that led to the Civil War of 49 BCE. In this biography, Pompey is criticized for rejecting Caesar’s proposals for reconciliation, viewing this refusal as the direct cause of the civil war’s outbreak. However, the deeper reason for the conflict is identified in the rivalry among Pompey, Caesar, and Crassus, which had been skilfully masked by their apparent friendship, achieved in part through the reconciliation between Pompey and Crassus. The Life of Pompey thus adds a layer of complexity to the explicit lessons of the Praecepta; nevertheless, it does not contradict them, since Plutarch’s ultimate concern, both in the Moralia and the Lives, is the preservation of concord within the state.