Conversation about love

With the translation of Ahmed Hamdi Al-Mutawalli, the Arabic version of Plutarch's "Dialogue on Love" was recently published, which is one of his less famous works and less fortunate in translation, compared to the biographies he wrote or his letters about friendship, all of which have previously been translated into Arabic. Regarding its "plot," the dialogue — which experts agree was written by Plutarch during the last years of his life — tells a story set in the city of Thespius, where Autopoulos son of Plutarch recounts that his father went there on a visit to offer sacrifices to the god Eros, and in the city, he encounters a group of acquaintances who are debating about a love affair between a young widow, Ismendra, and a younger man who has never married before, Pakhon. The dialogue presents the opinions of the characters, who are divided between supporters and opponents of the woman's love for the young man and her desire to marry him, and among those opposed, especially since Ismendra is the one who confesses her love to the youth, which was unusual at that time. Her wealth and social status were among the factors that made some speakers in the dialogue wary of her love, until Plutarch intervened to settle the debate. Plutarch defends Ismendra's right to declare her love for the young man and their right to marry despite the age difference, matters that may seem normal to us today, but were not so in the philosopher’s time, when the relationship between man and woman was not necessarily supported or appreciated by the elite, as it was viewed primarily as a relationship for procreation. This opinion is opposed by the author, who also advocates for marriage as a social framework for their relationship.