Plutarch (c. 46-c. 120)

Plutarch, a classical Greek writer, lived during the period when the Roman Empire ruled the Mediterranean region, including Greece. Born into an aristocratic and influential family, Plutarch spent much of his life in Chaeronea, his birthplace in Boeotia. In his travels he visited Athens, Egypt, and Italy, often teaching and lecturing in Rome. Later in life, he would found an academy before joining the priesthood of the Oracle at Delphi, as he was a devout believer in the ancient pieties as well as an astute student of antiquity. Plutarch received his education in Athens, where he composed many essays and dialogues and became a writer and thinker versed not only in philosophy but also in science and literature. His works have greatly influenced Western understanding of classical culture, especially in comparing and contrasting exceptional individuals who lived in ancient Greece and ancient Rome.

Plutarch is most renowned for his historical works, which focus on the heroic lives of those who shaped both the classical and Hellenistic ages in Greece. His The Rise and Fall of Athens: Nine Greek Lives, and The Age of Alexander and Makers of Rome: Nine Lives remain widely read as staples of a classical education, although they are sometimes viewed as flawed in their historical methodology. Plutarch often includes what some historians regard as an excess of critical commentary in his accounts; moreover, Plutarch was not a contemporary of many of his subjects and thus relied on secondary sources who did not necessarily witness the events they recorded, so his historical accuracy is sometimes questionable. His style [Page 1020]of weaving into his stories a great deal of legend or myth can confound the modern reader seeking detailed historical explanations. Consequently, Plutarch's chief value may lie not in his fidelity to historical detail but in his embodiment of the spirit of the classical Greek and Roman ages.

A philosopher by trade, Plutarch habitually made moral judgments about the character of his subjects on the basis of their deeds; thus, his historical accounts were perhaps secondary to the moral example they provide the reader. Of special interest to Plutarch was the comparison between the great lives of classical Greece and those of his contemporary Romans. His Parallel Lives illustrates similarities in excellence of character, or lack thereof, for the purposes of providing social commentary and in a way acting as a moral compass to the leaders of his time.

For his efforts as both biographer and philosopher, Plutarch was honored by Emperor Hadrian with a government appointment in Greece. Until his death, Plutarch continued to travel between Greece, Rome, and Egypt.