In the eight lives selected here, Plutarch introduces the reader to the major figures and periods of classical Rome. He portrays virtues to be emulated and vices to be avoided, but his purpose is also implicitly to educate and warn those in his own day who wielded power. In prose that is rich, elegant and sprinkled with learned references, he explores with an extraordinary degree of insight the interplay of character and political action. And while drawing chiefly on historical sources, he also shows a natural story-teller ...
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In the eight lives selected here, Plutarch introduces the reader to the major figures and periods of classical Rome. He portrays virtues to be emulated and vices to be avoided, but his purpose is also implicitly to educate and warn those in his own day who wielded power. In prose that is rich, elegant and sprinkled with learned references, he explores with an extraordinary degree of insight the interplay of character and political action. And while drawing chiefly on historical sources, he also shows a natural story-teller's ear for a good anecdote. This fresh translation will introduce a new generation to this classic work.
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