The Ship of Theseus
Replace a ship's planks one at a time until not one original piece is left. Is it still the same ship?
c. 75 CE (Plutarch's report of an older dispute)20 min read
Greek biography and Middle Platonism
Plutarch
46 – 119
Greek historian, biographer and priest at Delphi. His Parallel Lives pairs Greek and Roman figures. Chapter 23 of the Life of Theseus records the ship preserved by the Athenians and notes that philosophers already used it as a standing example in disputes about growth and identity — making Plutarch a reporter of the puzzle rather than its inventor.