Product Description
Publisher: London : Dent ; New York : DuttonPublication date: 1911Notes: This is an OCR reprint. There may be typos or missing text. There are no illustrations or indexes.When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free. You can also preview the book there. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Not a quick read, but worth the effort
This selection of essays by Plutarch presents a challenging read due to the depth of the topics covered and by the late 1800s translation.Most are, however, worth the effort.This is especially true of the last essay/chapter - "How One May Be Aware of One's Progress in Virtue" - which contains somewhat of an overview of many of the other essays, and also seems more easily related to the modern condition.This last essay could fairly easily be adapted to a modern Christian context, with instruction on discerning what is important and ways for one to gage one's own progress in virtue and growth of character. ... Read more

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This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery. ... Read more

Product Description
The complete multi-volume Lives, in a single file.The Clough translation. On 5/30/2009, I added a table of contents with links to each biography and comparison. If you bought a copy before that date, you should be able to download the new version at no extra cost.According to Wikipedia: "Lucius Mestrius Plutarchus (c. AD 46 - 120 — commonly known in English as Plutarch — was a Roman historian (of Greek ethnicity), biographer, essayist, and Middle Platonist. Plutarch was born to a prominent family in Chaeronea, Boeotia, a town about twenty miles east of Delphi. His known works consist of the Parallel Lives and the Moralia." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Inside the minds of the greatest heroes of history
Plutarch is unsurpassed at his job.The Lives bring us anicent times, close up.Heroes we remember -- Alexander, for one; and heroes we've forgotten, from Pelopidas and Epaminondas onward.Villains by the score.Glimpses of the impact on our culture of men like Plato are all through this text.Reclaim your intellectual history by reading this book -- not just once, but many times.A lucid translation; source material for the historian. ... Read more

Product Description

Plutarch (Plutarchus), ca. 45–120 CE, was born at Chaeronea in Boeotia in central Greece, studied philosophy at Athens, and, after coming to Rome as a teacher in philosophy, was given consular rank by the emperor Trajan and a procuratorship in Greece by Hadrian. He was married and the father of one daughter and four sons. He appears as a man of kindly character and independent thought, studious and learned.

Plutarch wrote on many subjects. Most popular have always been the 46 Parallel Lives, biographies planned to be ethical examples in pairs (in each pair, one Greek figure and one similar Roman), though the last four lives are single. All are invaluable sources of our knowledge of the lives and characters of Greek and Roman statesmen, soldiers and orators. Plutarch's many other varied extant works, about 60 in number, are known as Moralia or Moral Essays. They are of high literary value, besides being of great use to people interested in philosophy, ethics and religion.

The Loeb Classical Library edition of the Moralia is in fifteen volumes, volume XIII having two parts.

Customer Reviews (2)

Loeb Classical Library: Plutarch: Moralia V
Came in excellent condition and even faster than I was expecting. Thanks for shipping it so soon after my order!

Good source of information on the cults of Isis and Osiris
This volume of Plutarch's Moralia describes the legend and cult of Isis and Osiris, as referred to by my book Vampires or Gods? It is a very interesting look at a major cult during the late imperial period of the Roman Empire. - William Meyers ... Read more

Product Description

Plutarch (Plutarchus), ca. 45–120 CE, was born at Chaeronea in Boeotia in central Greece, studied philosophy at Athens, and, after coming to Rome as a teacher in philosophy, was given consular rank by the emperor Trajan and a procuratorship in Greece by Hadrian. He was married and the father of one daughter and four sons. He appears as a man of kindly character and independent thought, studious and learned.

Plutarch wrote on many subjects. Most popular have always been the 46 Parallel Lives, biographies planned to be ethical examples in pairs (in each pair, one Greek figure and one similar Roman), though the last four lives are single. All are invaluable sources of our knowledge of the lives and characters of Greek and Roman statesmen, soldiers and orators. Plutarch's many other varied extant works, about 60 in number, are known as Moralia or Moral Essays. They are of high literary value, besides being of great use to people interested in philosophy, ethics and religion.

The Loeb Classical Library edition of the Lives is in eleven volumes.

Product Description
Plutarch's Lives, written at the beginning of the second century A.D., is a brilliant social history of the ancient world by one of the greatest biographers and moralists of all time. In what is by far his most famous and influential work, Plutarch reveals the character and personality of his subjects and how they led ultimately to tragedy or victory. Richly anecdotal and full of detail, Volume I contains profiles and comparisons of Romulus and Theseus, Numa and Lycurgus, Fabius and Pericles, and many more powerful figures of ancient Greece and Rome.

The present translation, originally published in 1683 in conjunction with a life of Plutarch by John Dryden, was revised in 1864 by the poet and scholar Arthur Hugh Clough, whose notes and preface are also included in this edition.

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Customer Reviews (9)

Some suggestions about reading one of the treasures of Western Civilization.
Plutarch's Parallel Lives of the Noble Greek and Romans is one of the central works in the Western literary and philosophical tradition. It is one of the keys to understanding Shakespeare, Machiavelli, Montaigne and Emerson. It was a favorite book and resource of Jefferson, Madison and others of the Founding Fathers. All these writers were deeply influenced by their reading of Plutarch.
Plutarch (hereafter to be P)was a Greek writing in the first century after Christ. He was a Platonist who was also well read in Aristotle as well as a fierce opponent of Stoicism and Epicurius. His paired biographies are based on a broad reading in many sources some of which are lost to us and known only through their presentation in P. P is fan of Thucydides, Homer and Hesiod and Pindar. He had much less use for Herodotus. All of these sources along with many others are woven into his writings. To read P is to be introduced to many of the great writers and thinkers of the Greeks and the Romans. For me, it has been a delight. When reading the first volume of the Modern Library edition of Plutarch, I have found myself wondering why I put off reading him for so long. He is a subtle and entertaining companion.

For my review, I want to do two things. First, I want to offer you reasons to read the Modern Library edition of Plutarch over the alternative such as the Loeb edition or the Penguin Travesty.
The reasons for my preference for the Modern Library edition is two-fold. It is true to P's intention and it is cheap.
The Penguins are (or should be considered)a joke. That publisher decided to offer Plutarch by splitting up the pair biographies and then presenting all the biographies that had to do with, say, the Makers of Rome. Never mind that Plutarch denied that he was writing history as such. Never mind that he organized his writing around the paired biographies and that he had several purposes in doing so. The Penguin Powers That Be know better than P! Plutarch's writings should be offered to us in easy-to-digest (i.e., fairly short) books about something like the Rise of Romerather than a very long book about the dynamic interactions between character, virtue, upbringing, fate (or Fortune or God, your pick) of the individual in interaction with that of their polis. Nobody, fears the Lord Editors of Penguinia, would want to read a complicated book like that. Needless to say, I think the Penguin editors are a bunch of maroons (although they do some things right like including a few maps to help us figure out where they heck Illyria, Thrace or Parthia were).
The Loeb edition runs to eleven volumes, each of which includes the Greek and each of which is expensive. From what I have seen of the Loeb, I don't think the notes are enough of an argument to favor this edition.
So buy the Modern Library edition. It gives you all of the biographies, in their original pairings and all the extant individual ones including a couple (of Galba and Otho) of biographies that are all that is left of a series on Roman emperors. The Dryden translation is a good one or so I believe simply because the voice of the author is distinctive, consistent and enjoyable. Reading this edition, I can understand why so many people have enjoyed P. for so long.

The most important point I want to make is that I believe that Plutarch had several intentions behind his organization. He is writing toward the end of the 1rst century AD- a period of Roman domination over just about everybody (that Plutarch knew of). I said earlier that I found P to be a subtle writer. For an instance, look to the Comparison that he makes after writing about Lycurgus and Numa. Toward the end, P basically asks if Rome is the better for the six centuries or so of constant warfare that she unleashed upon Italy and the world after the death of Numa. He doesn't give an answer although he suggests what his would be by talking about how the answer would differ from judges who value "riches, luxury, and dominion rather than in security, gentleness, and the independence which is accompanied by justice" (p. 106 of the Modern Library edition). In my reading, in other words, Plutarch is pushing for Greek culture to establish a counterweight or a critique to Roman hegemony. Rome may be militarily supreme but that is a mere moment in Fortune's turning wheel. And culturally, Rome is subject to the standards established by the Greeks like Plato, Aeschylus, Homer and Thucydides.
Even more central to P.'s thinking are moral lessons to be learned from comparing great men whose characteristics in interaction with their upbringing created men of often conflicting virtues who then tried to use the circumstances of their times to achieve glory for themselves and their cities.
This is an enormous theme with infinite variations. P.'s weaves in through these studies thoughts on political philosophy, on the reliability of founding myths, on the struggle between the many and the few (class struggle, we like to call it)and other assorted themes. It is a glorious and messy brew.

One final remark- I have yet to locate anything that presents itself as a companion to this book. I find that lack staggering. Why isn't there a commentary of the book as a whole which provides background history, prosography, maps, etc.? Wikipedia and the Oxford Classical Dictionary have been my constant companions as I have read P. As inordinate as my ignorance is, I cannot be the only reader of Plutarch that has decried that lack of a decent companion volume.
I am currently reading Plutarch by Robert Lamberton and plan to read a few other secondary sources before I go on to volume 2. I will review them as I finish them especially if I find a stand alone sourcebook for the background knowledge necessary for a decent reading of Plutarch. In the meantime, I can only encourage you to pick up a copy. If you are not as impressed as I am, so be it. But you may find yourself as carried away as I have been. In that case, you will be singing my praises as well as Plutarch's.
Addendum: Scholarly obsession compels me to reveal a flaw in the Modern Library edition that I have only become aware of since finishing the first volume. I am currently reading Robert Lamberton's book on Plutarch. He, like all scholars of the work, refer to the Lives by the life in question and section numbers. For example, he will refer to Lyc., 2 to indicate the second section of the life of Lycurgus. Unfortunately, the Modern Library edition does not include the traditional section numbers so all references are much more difficult to chase down. And there are typically 30+ sections for each life. If that sort of thing is important to you, this lack may effect that choice of which edition of the Lives you choose.

great collection of lives
This is a great collection of ancient biographies, written by Plutarch, who was really artist in the field of the literature. Even more than five stars for this masterpiece.

The old English translation of the original Greek text made by Dryden can make some minor problems while reading the text.

This edition of Plutarch's lives should be published in hardcover. Paperback edition made to give only four stars for this product.

history
I am a great fan of ancient history studies, and found this presentation of a classic to be quite satisfying. In addition, as expected, the purchase price, ease of ordering, speed of delivery, and integrity of product, were on the usual, excellent level.

Dryden, Clough and Others
First off, let me clarify that what follows is a review of a particular edition of Plutarch's Lives, the current (2001) edition from Modern Library Classics.It is not a review of the book itself and will not provide any information on the relevance of this wonderful classic or the many lives it includes or the ingenious structure of paralleling the lives of Greeks and Romans or the importance of this text to the history of biography.Several other reviews here do a fine job of that and I see no reason to cover the same ground.Moreover, I've noted rather a lot of confusion about this edition in reviews here on Amazon (see particularly the reviews associated with the hardbound Modern Library volumes).I am still researching the Dryden edition, but thought I might offer a few comments to provide clarity and a better understanding of this edition for those whose buying decisions are based on the nature and quality of a particular translation.

"The Dryden Translation" - this unusual phrasing (which appears on the cover) has become the traditional descriptor for this version of the Lives.In fact, Dryden is not, properly speaking, the translator of this book.In one article in Wikipedia he is described as an overseer for the edition and in another as editor-in-chief, but he is also described as having simply "lent" his name to the enterprise.I am still researching this, but I should not be surprised if Jacob Tonson, the publisher, was not more involved in editing than was Dryden.[Update: My research to date has been inconclusive on the full nature of Dryden's role in this undertaking, but none of the more detailed resources I have turned to suggest that Dryden actually participated in this book as a "translator."Very possibly, this is one of those many little facts of history that have gone unrecorded and for which we shall have to content ourselves with the conjecture of scholarly experts.What is most surprising, however, is how often Dryden is given as the translator of this volume in various less detailed references to the book.Encyclopedia Britannica, for example, has Dryden as the translator; Wikipedia, much to my surprise, does not -- what can I say? sometimes the amateurs outdo the professionals.]

Dryden's primary involvement in the project seems to have been his "Life of Plutarch" which is included in this edition only by way of a two short excerpts in Clough's Preface.

Arthur Hugh Clough's Preface and Revisions - Clough was a nineteenth century poet.Clough's preface was, for me, a major reason I became interested in the Modern Library edition.I found the preface quite intriguing.It is a solid piece of work from an individual who was neither a full time scholar, nor a particularly notable prose writer.In a couple of cases, the argument at the very beginning of the preface for example, he seems to drop his thoughts without fully completing them.But this is a minor problem in an otherwise well thought out and informative discussion of Plutarch and his book.

The text itself - One of the reviewers here on Amazon calls this Clough's "train wreck" assuming that the difficulties in the text must lie with Clough because, concludes the reviewer, Dryden is a much better prose writer.Few would doubt that Dryden was a better prose writer, but I strongly suspect that the translation in this case (not Dryden's as I have already pointed out) was aided by Clough's hand.I am having trouble getting a copy of the original (pre-Clough) "Dryden" translation, although I should very much like to do a comparison.Once Clough's version came out, publishers seem to have had no reason to go back to the original which provides at least some indication that Clough had resolved some of the problems with the text.As a result, the pure "Dryden" editions are older and more expensive.

I find the text quite readable.It is not a "modern" translation (I hate using the word "modern" here because I think of Clough as a modern, perhaps I should say it is not a twentieth or twenty-first century translation).This text is clearly more given to complex clausal structures than we would expect in a popular translation today.I think it more than has its merits.I'm not sure but that the complex clausal structures might not have their own virtue in a text like this.Certainly one of the interesting qualities in Plutarch is a kind of questioning of sources that the syntax of this edition brings out rather nicely.I say that, however, as a non-classicist with little or no Greek, so I cannot be sure whether it really does reflect the original.

Notes - My chief concern with the text would be that it lacks annotation or other textual apparatus beyond an index.This is particularly peculiar given that the cover states that it includes notes by Clough!I am trying to get my hands on an earlier edition of the Clough revision to see what it might contain in the way of notes.Nonetheless, I'm not quite sure what to make of the Modern Library advertising notes on the cover, but providing none.Until I know better what these notes might entail, I'm loath to make any judgment.[Update: I attempted to contact Random House about my concerns but, to my surprise, I could not get them to understand that I was not referring to the notes in the preface, but rather to notes for the text itself!I hate to be too hard on Random House over something like this, notheless, I still feel I should provide some warning to potential buyers.The language on the cover suggests that this book includes Clough's notes.It does not.I have, since I first wrote this, purchased a copy of an early edition with the Clough edits.In all honesty Clough's notes are few and far between, but there is enough of value in them that, in my opinion, at least, they should have been included.And, not to be too snarky, but Clough and Random House deserve editors who understand the difference between textual notes and notes to a preface.]

Introduction by James Atlas - I wish I could speak more highly of the Modern Library introduction, but I am afraid I felt it was lacking on many levels.It fails in anyway to clarify the nature of the translation.One would think that it would at least contain some mention of the relevance of this particular text (why reprint it now?), of the curious assignment of Dryden's name as translator to a book that he did not translate, and of the role that Clough played as a nineteenth century editor of a seventeenth century text.

Additionally, and perhaps most warranting concern, Atlas's introduction covers such similar ground to Clough's Preface (even using many of the same quotations) that it feels rather curiously redundant.

The cover - I cannot close without commenting on the cover.It looks like wallpaper for a nineteenth century classicist's study.And quite honestly, I like it.

I've given the book four stars because I see no reason to visit the sins of this particular edition upon the text as a whole, and the text has plenty of merits both as a translation and as a classic of literature.

A Timeless Classic By One Of The Best Biographers In History
Plutarch in his "Lives Of The Noble Grecians And Romans" written around 100 C.E., sheds new light on Greek and Roman history from their Bronze Age beginnings, shrouded in myth, down through Alexander and late Republican Rome.Plutarch is the lens that we use today to view the Greco-Roman past; his work has shaped our perceptions of that world for 2,000 years.Plutarch writes of the rise of Roman Empire while Gibbon uses his scholarship to advance the story to write about its decline.He was a proud Greek that was equally effected by Roman culture, a Delphic priest, a leading Platonist, a moralist, educator and philosopher with a deep commitment as a first rate writer.Being a Roman citizen, Plutarch was afforded the opportunity to become an intimate friend to prominent Roman citizens and a member of the literary elite in the court of Emperor Trajan.

Plutarch's influence and enormous popularity during and after the Renaissance is legendary among classicist. Plutarch's "Lives", served as the sourcebook for Shakespeare's Roman Plays "Julius Caesar", "Antony and Cleopatra" and "Coriolanus".By the way Plutarch is even the only contemporary source of all the biographical information on Cleopatra, whom he writes about in his biographies of Julius Caesar, Mark Antony and Octavian. Thomas Jefferson wrote to his nephew that there were three books every gentleman had to have familiarity with; Plutarch's "Lives", Livy's "History of Rome" and Virgil's Aeneid.In fact all the founding fathers of note had read Plutarch and learned much from his fifty biographies of noble men of Greece and Rome.When Hamilton, Jay and Madison write "The Federalist Papers" they use many examples of good and bad leadership traits that they read in Plutarch's work.His biographies are a great study in human character and what motivates leaders to decide and act the way they do, this masterpiece has proven to be still prescient today.

If you are truly interested in a classical education, put this book on the top of your list! I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in political philosophy, and history.
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Customer Reviews (1)

A wonderful translation
I bought this book to learn more about how to deal with hate speech that has been spewed by tea party groups, and others, in addition to hate-speech emails forwarded by some computer users. Actually I got the idea of reading Plutarch from Louis L'Amour's memoirs. Following are just a few of the 26 chapter titles in my paperback edition:

On education
On love to one's offspring
That virtue may be taught
On virtue and vice
On moral virtue
How a man may be benefitted by his enemies
On envy and hatred.

The translation is clear and concise, and I have already learned much about dealing with certain characters in life. As for hate speech, I cannot change people who are willing to forego debate so that they can deceive and try to destroy others, but I can, and do, raise my hands, palm out, and say--words to the effect of--"In me, you have the wrong audience for hate speech." Of course, they deny that they are spewing hate speech. Then I suggest that they start reading Plutarch. This book has been a great benefit for me. ... Read more

Product Description
This Halcyon Classics ebook contains the fifty lives of famous Greeks and Romans written by first century Greek historian and biographer Plutarch.Plutarch (c. 46 – 120 AD), was a Greek-born Roman citizen who was an historian, biographer, essayist, and Middle Platonist known primarily for his LIVES and MORALS.He was born to a prominent family in Chaeronea, Boeotia, a town about twenty miles east of Delphi.

PLUTARCH'S LIVES is a series of biographies of famous men, arranged in tandem to illuminate their common moral virtues or failings, written in the late 1st Century. The surviving Lives contain twenty-three pairs of biographies, each pair consisting of one Greek and one Roman, as well as four unpaired, single lives.Eighteen pairs of lives have comparison sections, following the life of the second person.

This ebook is DRM and includes an active table of contents for easy navigation.

Contents

Preface
Preface to the Civil Wars of Rome
Life of Plutarch

Theseus
Romulus
Comparison of Romulus with Theseus
Lycurgus
Numa Pompilius
Comparison of Numa with Lycurgus
Solon
Poplicola
Comparison of Poplicola with Solon
Themistocles
Camillus
Pericles
Fabius
Comparison of Pericles with Fabius
Alcibiades
Coriolanus
Comparison of Alcibiades with Coriolanus
Timoleon
Aemilius Paulus
Comparison of Timoleon with Aemilius Paulus
Pelopidas
Marcellus
Comparision of Pelopidas with Marcellus
Aristides
Marcus Cato
Comparison of Aristides with Marcus Cato
Philopoemen
Flamininus
Comparison of Philopoemen with Flamininus
Pyrrhus
Caius Marius
Lysander
Sylla
Comparison of Lysander with Sylla
Cimon
Lucullus
Comparison of Lucullus with Cimon
Nicias
Crassus
Comparison of Crassus with Nicias
Sertorius
Eumenes
Comparison of Sertorius with Eumenes
Agesilaus
Pompey
Comparison of Pompey and Agesilaus
Alexander
Caesar
Phocion
Cato the Younger
Agis
Cleomenes
Tiberius Gracchus
Caius Gracchus
Comparison of Tiberius and Caius Gracchus with Agis and Cleomenes
Demosthenes
Cicero
Comparison of Demosthenes and Cicero
Demetrius
Antony
Comparison of Demetrius and Antony
Dion
Marcus Brutus
Comparison of Dion and Brutus
Aratus
Artaxerxes
Galba
Otho

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Product Description
Plutarch's Lives of Themistocles; Pericles; Aristides; Alcibiades and Coriolanus; Comparison of Alcibiades with Coriolanus; Demosthenes; and Cicero; Comparison of Demosthenes and Cicero; Caesar and Antony. In the translation called Dryden's corrected and revised by Arthur Hugh Clough with introductions and notes. ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (1)

The greatest hits of Plutarch
This is an interesting collection of some of Plutarch's "Lives", short biographies of ancient Greek and Roman statesmen and generals. This volume contains the lives of Solon, Themistocles, Pericles, Alcibiades, Alexander the Great, Marius, Sulla, Pompey, Julius Caesar and Cicero.

All are equally interesting, but personally I was most fascinated by the Life of Marius. This Roman general and politician is often depicted as a budding little tyrant who destroyed the Roman republic long before Caesar. To me, he comes across as a strong plebeian leader who strengthened the lower classes of the Roman republic. For tactical reasons, he freed substantial amounts of slaves during his later military campaigns to regain power in Rome. Plutarch even claims that Marius came from a lowly background and that his father was a labourer. Marius' constant and bloody battles with "barbarians" and various Italian city-states are less uplifting, but would sure make for a good Hollywood epic! The biography of Marius' main protagonist, the wily and decadent aristocrat Sulla Felix, is also interesting.

Other high points of this volume are the biographies of two Athenians, the moderate reformer and law giver Solon and the opportunist general Alcibiades. The latter was briefly associated with none other than Socrates.

The main problem with Plutarch is, of course, that you never really know whether he is telling the truth or repeating tall tales. After all, Plutarch lived long after the events he described. Those interested in ancient history would do best to double check all of Plutarch's claims with modern scholarly studies. A problem with this particular edition is the old fashioned translation (from 1864), which may put off some readers. More modern editions of Plutarch exist.

No matter the edition, Plutarchos is indispensable reading for anyone interested in the history of ancient Greece and Rome...
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Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description

Table of Contents:

Customer Reviews (2)

Works of Plutarch (Kindle edition)
Works of Plutarch. Includes The Lives of the noble Grecians and Romans (Parallel Lives), Morals andEssays and Miscellanies. Published by MobileReference (mobi)

This is a fabulous collection of Plutarch's works. Plutarch explains how to lead better lives and what principles and practices can help on the way to this goal. Excellent ebook!

Enlightening
Works of Plutarch. Includes The Lives of the noble Grecians and Romans (Parallel Lives), Morals andEssays and Miscellanies. Published by MobileReference (mobi)

Plutarch is one of the more reliable and trustworthy historians that ancient Rome has to offer. His straightforward style and flair for the dramatic make his biographies of ancient Greeks and Romans both informative and entertaining. I would recommend this ebook as a must-read for all people who take a curiosity in the Roman empire. ... Read more

Product Description
This volume brings together the work of a wide range of international scholars on the most important themes in Plutarch's Greek and Roman Lives. It includes contributions on Plutarch's life and cultural milieu; his methodology; the chronological order of composition and the cross-references from one Life to another; on the possibility that several biographies were edited simultaneously; the methods Plutarch adopted to summarize his own reading and research; the choice of subjects and of sources; Plutarch's compositional techniques; and the criteria for selecting the Greek and Roman pairs. An introduction discusses the traditions of historiography which influenced Plutarch, and the background to Graeco-Roman biography, analysing Plutarch's sources and assessing how he used them. At the cusp between literature, philosophy, and history, Plutarch's biographies and these studies of them are of unique interest to scholars interested in all aspects of the ancient world. ... Read more

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Classics Club. ... Read more

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The Second Sophistic (c.AD 60-250) was a time of intense competition for honour and status. Like today, this often caused mental as well as physical stress for the elite of the Roman Empire. This book, which transcends the boundaries between literature, social history, and philosophy, studies Plutarch's practical ethics, a group of twenty-odd texts within the Moraliadesigned to help powerful Greeks and Romans manage their ambitions and society's expectations successfully. Lieve Van Hoof combines a systematic analysis of the general principles underlying Plutarch's practical ethics, including the author's target readership, therapeutical practices, and self-presentation, with five innovative case studies. A picture emerges of philosophy under the Roman Empire not as a set of abstract, theoretical doctrines, but as a kind of symbolic capital engendering power and prestige for author and reader alike. ... Read more

Product Description
One of the greatest essayists of the Graeco-Roman world, Plutarch (c. AD 46 -120) used an encyclopedic knowledge of the Roman Empire to produce a compelling and individual voice. In this superb selection from his writings, he offers personal insights into moral subjects that include the virtue of listening, the danger of flattery and the avoidance of anger, alongside more speculative essays on themes as diverse as God's slowness to punish man, the use of reason by supposedly irrational' animals and the death of his own daughter. Brilliantly informed, these essays offer a treasure-trove of ancient wisdom, myth and philosophy, and a powerful insight into a deeply intelligent man. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

The Consummate and Timeless Observer
(born AD 46, Chaeronea, Boeotia-died after 119)

His works profoundly influenced the evolution of the essay,biography,and historical writing in 16th-19th century Europe.I found this collection of 10 essays very 'readable' and Plutarch offers you a wide berth of topics to choose from. It covers many facets and variables in his observations of human behavior. The writing is stimulating and inspiring.It instructs,educates,and entertains you as well.Enjoy this greco-roman master of the essay from many moons ago. An excerptfrom PLUTARCH's essay 'How to distinquish a flatterer from a friend'(penguine classics.copyright-1992-translation-Robert Waterfield)

"...The ultimate dishonesty is the false appearance of honesty,it it not overt light-hearted flattery that must be regarded as problematic,but the covert straight-faced version ,which can even corrupt true friendship if we do not watch out,because it coincides to a large extent with friendship..."

"The Greatest Moralist of the Greco-Roman World"
Plutarch (50-120 BC?) has been called the greatest essayist of the Greco-Roman world.Perhaps this is true; but more truth may lie in the statement that he is the greatest moralizer of the Greco-Roman world.Nevertheless, his voluminous collection of essays, dealing with moral philosophy, are deeply rooted in the Platonic tradition, with occasional seasonings of the school of Aristotle.Plutarch draws from his encyclopedic knowledge of the mythological and philosophical lore of his time, along with his own personal experiences, in order to present and convey a moral through his straightforward prose and use of both Aristotelian and Platonic dialogue form.These essays, much like Cicero's dialogues, are an attempt to layout a practical code of ethics for the aspiring student or sage. Although, Plutarch differs from Cicero in the fact that nothing suggests that these essays were directed for popular use by the masses.Already, only after a hundred years or so following the Republic's collapse, learning was being pulled away from public use and was being dragged into the schoolroom to be savored only by the well to do of the Empire.Anyway, these essays make for an entertaining and edifying read.Also the editor, Ian Kidd, furnishes comprehensive introductions, which throw significant light on the text.The only drawback to this work is the absence of the greater part of Plutarch's essays; barely a third are given here.These works should not be ignored; they are constantly overshadowed by his "Parallel Lives" but renewed interest in his moral writings are bringing these essays back to the fore of classical education.They are a definite read for anyone interested in philosophy or classical literature.

Applied Morals and Eclecticism
This is a fabulous collection of essays and a good introduction into Plutarch's writing and method of reasoning.While Plutarch was a member of the academy in Athens which had been founded by Plato several centuries had passed since Plato had left the scene.Plutarch takes knowledge from wherever he can find it -- whether it be from Homer or Pindar, Plato or Democritus, the Stoics, or from his varied experiences in his family, town, or cosmopolitan relationships with Greeks or Romans.Many of the essays, especially the ones on contentment, on moral progress, and on anger have things to tell anybody that can help them in their daily life.Francis Bacon wrote a good essay on Anger as well.Compare the two if you are interested.Anyways, these essays speak to the same concerns as do his famous Lives -- how can we lead better lives and what principles and practices can help us on the way to this goal.

Kidd on insight...Plutarch on details...
The best parts of this book, surprisingly, are Ian
Kidd'sintroductions -- the "Introduction" to the
work itself, and the introductions which he does before
each of the essays. There is no doubt that Plutarch is
intelligent, literate, insightful, perhaps even wise.
As a supposed adherent of Plato, however, he sometimes
seems to forget his wellspring.
The astonishing feature of reading Plutarch both in
these essays sometimes called "Moralia" (a term which
Kidd takes issue with and explains why) and
his "Parallel Lives" (of Noble Greeks and Romans) is
his use of psychology in furthering the insights about
ethical and moral behavior.In his "Lives" he often
talks of the personalities and attitudes and emotions
of the figures he is discussing (as well as the events
of their lives -- such as Coriolanus' lack of a
father and the temper he seemed to develop because of
it) to show how those things impact upon the decisions
and actions which they wind up taking.In doing so,
Plutarch makes the lives (and these essays, which
contain similar psychological examples and insights)
extremely interesting.
There is much that is sound and "right" in Plutarch's
views -- but he seems to be leading a course away from
Plato.For Plutarch seems to be intent on the idea of
reforming people IN the world, so that they might be
better IN the world -- and treat others better IN the
world.Whether that is desirable -- or possible --
is something best left to the individual reader to
decide.In the history of civilization, prophets,
reformers, and "messiahs" have come and gone -- some
have had humanizing effects on their listeners, some
have had de-humanizing effects on their listeners,
and some have had their words and ideas twisted to
suit some new self-justification of the moment.The
world and nature go on -- men come and go -- are born
and die -- "buy into" the world, its programs, its
"values," its delusions -- or do not.
Kidd's own insights about Plutarch, the history
of his influence down through the ages, and about the
nature of these essays is what I find valuable in this
work.Plutarch gives richness in his use of examples
of incidents which happened between people (provocative
people) to show the validity of what he is trying to
say.In one essay he talks of not reproving someone
in front of others -- and he tells of an instance in
which Plato spoke in reproof to Socrates about Socrates'
berating of someone else in public -- here is Plutarch's
account (from: "How to Distinguish a Flatterer From a
Friend"): "The next point to note is that care must be
taken about using candour towards a friend when there
are a lot of people around -- one should bear in mind
what happened to Plato. Once Socrates laid into one of
his associates rather forcefully while talking near the
banking stalls. Plato said, 'Wouldn't it have been
better to have said that in private?'Socrates replied,
'Wouldn't it have been better for YOU to have spoken to
me like that in private?'"
Plutarch is also surpising and richly rewarding from
the examples he gives in citing the more ancient
philosopher Pythagoras and incidents from his life and
teaching to illustrate his admonitions.
Whether the reader "profits" from Plutarch's examples
and admonitions, or not, depends upon the reader.But
there is much of interest and value here.

Selection of philosophical writing from first century Greece
This book comprises a selection of essays from the body of Plutarch's work collectively referred to as Moralia.Within he expounds on various topics often relying on quotes from writings he was farmiliar with, and very oftenmisquoting because he relied on his memory too often.Contains essays 'OnListening', 'How to Distinguish a Flatterer from a Friend', 'On Being Awareof Moral Progress', 'Whether Military or Intellectual Exploits have broughtAthens more Fame', 'On the Avoidance of Anger', 'On Contentment', 'On God'sSlowness to Punish', 'On Socrates' Personal Deity', 'In Consolation to HisWife', and 'On the Use of Reason by Irrational Animals' (which relies on adialogue between Odysseus and a human-turned-pig).I found these wereprobably not up to Plato, but were also much more popular once than theyare today.Each essay has its own introduction and numerous footnotes. ... Read more

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Plutarch (Plutarchus), ca. 45–120 CE, was born at Chaeronea in Boeotia in central Greece, studied philosophy at Athens, and, after coming to Rome as a teacher in philosophy, was given consular rank by the emperor Trajan and a procuratorship in Greece by Hadrian. He was married and the father of one daughter and four sons. He appears as a man of kindly character and independent thought, studious and learned.

Plutarch wrote on many subjects. Most popular have always been the 46 Parallel Lives, biographies planned to be ethical examples in pairs (in each pair, one Greek figure and one similar Roman), though the last four lives are single. All are invaluable sources of our knowledge of the lives and characters of Greek and Roman statesmen, soldiers and orators. Plutarch's many other varied extant works, about 60 in number, are known as Moralia or Moral Essays. They are of high literary value, besides being of great use to people interested in philosophy, ethics and religion.

The Loeb Classical Library edition of the Lives is in eleven volumes.

Customer Reviews (2)

A Timeless Classic By One Of The Best Biographers In History
Plutarch in his "Lives Of The Noble Grecians And Romans" written around 100 C.E., sheds new light on Greek and Roman history from their Bronze Age beginnings, shrouded in myth, down through Alexander and late Republican Rome.Plutarch is the lens that we use today to view the Greco-Roman past; his work has shaped our perceptions of that world for 2,000 years.Plutarch writes of the rise of Roman Empire while Gibbon uses his scholarship to advance the story to write about its decline.He was a proud Greek that was equally effected by Roman culture, a Delphic priest, a leading Platonist, a moralist, educator and philosopher with a deep commitment as a first rate writer.Being a Roman citizen, Plutarch was afforded the opportunity to become an intimate friend to prominent Roman citizens and a member of the literary elite in the court of Emperor Trajan.

Plutarch's influence and enormous popularity during and after the Renaissance is legendary among classicist. Plutarch's "Lives", served as the sourcebook for Shakespeare's Roman Plays "Julius Caesar", "Antony and Cleopatra" and "Coriolanus".By the way Plutarch is even the only contemporary source of all the biographical information on Cleopatra, whom he writes about in his biographies of Julius Caesar, Mark Antony and Octavian. Thomas Jefferson wrote to his nephew that there were three books every gentleman had to have familiarity with; Plutarch's "Lives", Livy's "History of Rome" and Virgil's Aeneid.In fact all the founding fathers of note had read Plutarch and learned much from his fifty biographies of noble men of Greece and Rome.When Hamilton, Jay and Madison write "The Federalist Papers" they use many examples of good and bad leadership traits that they read in Plutarch's work.His biographies are a great study in human character and what motivates leaders to decide and act the way they do, this masterpiece has proven to be still prescient today.

If you are truly interested in a classical education, put this book on the top of your list! I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in political philosophy, and history.

Collection of Plutarch's Lives
This book is one of an 11 volume collection of PLutarch's Lives. In the Parallel Lives Plutarch writes about influential men of the ancient world and compares and contrasts them. Some include Theseus and Remulus, Periclesand Fabius Maximus, and Themistocles and Camillus. The books are veryintriguing and each pair of lives is about 110 pages, double that number ifthe original Greek writing is counted which appears on the the reverse sideof the pages. So if you want to learn Greek, this is one way to learn! ... Read more

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