Plutarch’s Lives: Volume IV

Plutarch’s Lives is a collection of lives of fifty-three famous Greeks and Romans. Each life consists of an account from birth to death as well as important events that happened during the person’s lifetime. Plutarch, the author, draws on previous biographies of famous men, including those by Antiphon, Philip of Thespiae, and Phylarchus. He also uses material from his own life as well as historical events he has seen or heard about through others to tell the stories.

Plutarch seeks in this work to give an interpretation that will be useful to all kinds of readers. He includes descriptions of character traits and moral flaws and virtues along with details on military victories or political struggles. His goal is for a person reading these accounts to come away with both admiration for great accomplishments but also a better understanding of what makes people great leaders and citizens.

Plutarch was born in Boeotia and spent part of his youth in Rome. He was a priest of Apollo at Delphi and took on various political posts, but he always considered himself primarily a philosopher. He traveled an incredible amount, conversing with famous people and recording their lives and achievements. Only his essays and works about philosophy have survived into modern times; only seven volumes of his forty-eight historical works remain as well as the outlines for these 16 missing books. Volume One contains Plutarch’s work on Agis, Kleomenes, Gracchus, Tiberius Gracchus, Caius Gracchus, Demosthenes, Cicero, Demosthenes, Antonius, Dion, Brutus, Artaxerxes, Aratus, Galba & Otho.