Jason
BANTA The
Clothes Make the Man: Spectacle and Narrative in the Life of
Pyrrhus
In
the most likely fragmentary essay entitled To an Uneducated
Ruler, Plutarch describes the foolish ruler as an unskilled
sculptor. 'They think
their colossal figures look large and imposing if they are
modeled with their feet apart, and their muscles tense, and
their mouths wide open' (Plut. TUR
2.1). He
continues, explaining that these kings counterfeit harshness
and severity for the dignity of kingship, that there is a
distinct disparity between the outside appearance, like a
heroic looking colossus, and the interior, with is, in the same
manner as these statues, full of lead, clay, and other such
base materials. Such
rulers, instead of imitating the power and majesty of the gods,
i.e. taking up the scepter, trident or lightening bolt as
exterior symbols of power, should cultivate the interior
qualities of wisdom and intelligence in their efforts to
elevate themselves to the divine.
Among
the lives, the dichotomy between appearance and substance is
particularly conspicuous in the Life of Pyrrhus, the
paradigmatic uneducated ruler. The
biography opens up, after an account of the miraculous survival
of the infant Pyrrhus, with a description of the grotesque
king. 'Pyrrhus, in aspect
of his appearance had more terror than the majesty of kingship.
He had few teeth, and his upper jaw was all one bone, with the
place of teeth being marked by slight depressions' (Plut.
Pyr.
3.4). Plutarch signals to his readers the importance that
appearance will play within this life by this fearsome
description. A tension between the appropriate appearance for a
king and that of Pyrrhus is present from the outset, and this
disparity is all the more stressed when one considers
Plutarch's essay mentioned above.
As Pyrrhus is known for his exceptional appearance, he becomes
recognized through specific dress and armor on the battlefield
and without these accoutrements looses his force of personality
and power as a king and general. During his early attempts to
master Macedonia,
he becomes unrecognizable with out his goat-horned helmet; his
soldiers are unable to locate him when he removes it. (Plut.
Pyr.
11.11). In his first battle with the
Romans, his presence, 'conspicuous immediately for the beauty
and splendor of his richly ornate armor' (Plut.
Pyr.
16.7), rallies his troops and prevents them from being
immediately cowed by the surprisingly unbarbaric
Romans. Later in the
engagement, Pyrrhus exchanges armor with a companion of his, Megacles.
While the exchange of armor ensured Pyrrhus' safety, his
troops, without his conspicuous appearance, were nearly routed.
As J. M. Mossman has noted, 'the contrast between anonymity
and renown is expressed in terms of dress and has an almost
ethical connotation' (Mossman 100).
While
Mossman discusses appearance in reference to the Plutarch's
consistent (and very present) comparison between Pyrrhus and
Alexander, I intend in this paper to show that spectacle and
appearance help form the dominant narrative structure of the
Life. Pyrrhus
displays appropriate attributes, such as bravery, forethought,
consistency, for a king in scenarios, such as battle scenes,
where he is visible and conspicuous. In situations where
spectacular actions, in the most literal use of the term, are
inappropriate or of no use, Pyrrhus' worth as a ruler is
significantly lessened. He
reverts to tyrannical and despotic behavior, such as the
execution of his rival Neoptolemos,
his treatment of the Sicilians, and his behavior before his
death with his conflicts at Sparta.
In all these instants Pyrrhus shows an inability to succeed in
inertia. The consistent
comparison to Achilles and Alexander throughout the
Life, two semi-divine figures, does not in fact
strengthen the royal image and ability of Pyrrhus, but further
indicates his inability to rule effectively, since he is
imitating the appearance and not substance of these figures, in
the same manner the poor ruler, according to Plutarch, attempts
to display the power and destructive ability of divinity as
opposed to the wisdom.
Bibliography
Mossman, J.M. 1992. 'Plutarch,
Pyrrhus, and Alexander', in P.A. Stater
(ed.), Plutarch and the Historical Tradition. (London).
pp. 90-108.
Abstracts
Index