Plutarchos (Plutarch) (c.46 - c.120 AD)
Plutarchos was a Greek and Roman historian and pre-eminent biographer of the day. He traveled extensively, lectured on philosophy in Rome, and served as a priest of Delphi in his native Boeotia. His exceptional contribution to historical study is 'The Parallel Lives', of which 50 there are surviving biographies of great Greek and Roman statesmen.
His biographies, which delve into the moral and social implications of events, sometimes stray slightly from historical fact in order to illustrate a point, but are among the finest surviving historical resources.
Plutarch's 'Parallel Lives' has had a significant impact on English literature, primarily influencing Shakespeare's Coriolanus, Julius Caesar, and Antony and Cleopatra. An additional, if lesser known work, Moralia, consists of essays on various topics such as Superstition and Advice to Married Couples. In these works, he often quotes the works of previous writers, whose only surviving texts exist thanks to Plutarch.
Works:
- Bioi paralleloi (Parallel Lives) Exists today in various collections of biographies
- Moralia, or Ethica (Morals or Ethics)
Did you know...
Dating back to 1400 BC, the Oracle of Delphi was the most important shrine in all Greece. Delphi was once considered to be the center of the world.
