Plutarch's Lives, Volume 1 (of 4) by Plutarch

(2 User reviews)   4009
By Ava Marino Posted on Dec 26, 2025
In Category - Geographic History
Plutarch, 46-120? Plutarch, 46-120?
English
Ever wonder what makes a great leader? Forget modern self-help books. Plutarch asks the real questions by putting history's biggest names side-by-side. He pairs a famous Greek with a famous Roman—like Alexander the Great with Julius Caesar—and then just... compares them. It's not a dry list of dates and battles. It's about character: their childhood quirks, their moral choices, their spectacular failures. Reading this is like getting a backstage pass to the ancient world, watching legendary figures make impossible decisions without knowing how history would judge them. You'll see that the stuff of greatness and ruin hasn't changed much in 2,000 years.
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while others fall far short of the standard of Sir Thomas North's work. Dryden's version has during the last few years been re-edited by A.H. Clough, Fellow of Oriel College, Oxford. The translation by which Plutarch is best known at the present day is that of the Langhornes. Their style is certainly dull and commonplace, and is in many instances deserving of the harsh epithets which have been lavished upon it. We must remember, however, before unsparingly condemning their translation, that the taste of the age for which they wrote differed materially from that of our own, and that people who could read the 'Letters of Theodosius and Constantia' with interest, would certainly prefer Plutarch in the translation of the Langhornes to the simpler phrases of North's or Dryden's version. All events, comic or tragic, important or commonplace, are described with the same inflated monotony which was mistaken by them for the dignity of History. Yet their work is in many cases far more correct as a translation, and the author's meaning is sometimes much more clearly expressed, than in Dryden's earlier version. Langhorne's Plutarch was re-edited by Archdeacon Wrangham in the year 1819. In 1844, thirteen Lives were translated by that eminent scholar the late Mr. George Long; and it is by way of complement to these Lives that the present version was undertaken with his consent and his approval. Those translated by Mr. Long were selected by him as illustrating a period of Roman history in which he was especially interested, and will therefore be found to be more fully annotated than the others. It has seemed to me unnecessary to give information in the notes which can at the present day be obtained in a more convenient form in Dr. Smith's Classical Dictionary and Dictionary of Antiquities, many of the articles in which are written by Mr. Long himself. The student of classical literature will naturally prefer the exhaustive essays to be found in these works to any notes appended to Plutarch's text, while to those who read merely "for the story," the notes prove both troublesome and useless. In deciding on the spelling of the Greek proper names, I have felt great hesitation. To make a Greek speak of Juno or Minerva seems as absurd as to make a Roman swear by Herakles or Ares. Yet both Greek and Roman divinities are constantly mentioned. The only course that seemed to avoid absolute absurdity appeared to me to be that which I have adopted, namely to speak of the Greek divinities by their Greek, and the Latin ones by their Latin names. In substituting a k for the more usual c, I have followed the example of Grote, who in his History spells all Greek names exactly as they are written, with the exception of those with which we are so familiar in their Latin form as to render this practically impossible; as for instance in the case of Cyprus or Corinth, or of a name like Thucydides, where a return to the Greek k would be both pedantic and unmeaning. The text, which I have followed throughout, is that of C. Sintenis, Leipsic, 1873. AUBREY STEWART. PREFACE TO THE CIVIL WARS OF ROME.[A] [Footnote A: It has been thought desirable to give here Mr. Long's preface to the lives published by him, under the title of "Civil Wars of Rome." The lives will be found in subsequent volumes.] Among the extant Lives of Plutarch there are thirteen Lives of Romans which belong to the most eventful period of Roman history. They are the lives of the...

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Don't let the title fool you. This isn't a standard biography. Plutarch's Lives is built on a brilliant, simple idea: take one Greek and one Roman who lived in similar circumstances, tell their life stories, and then sit back to see what we can learn from the comparison. Volume 1 gives us pairs like the lawgivers Lycurgus of Sparta and Numa Pompilius of Rome, or the powerhouse orators Demosthenes and Cicero.

The Story

There's no single plot. Instead, each 'life' is a character portrait. Plutarch hunts for the defining moments. He's just as interested in a childhood anecdote or a private virtue as he is in a famous speech or a decisive war. He shows us Alexander's explosive temper alongside his brilliant strategy, and Caesar's political cunning next to his famous clemency. The 'story' is in the tension between their public deeds and private selves, and the dramatic consequences when those two sides collide.

Why You Should Read It

This book completely changed how I think about history. It removes the marble statues and shows you the living, breathing, flawed people underneath. Plutarch isn't just reporting facts; he's a moral psychologist. He wants to know what drives a person. Reading it feels like having a deep, winding conversation with a incredibly wise friend about power, ambition, and ethics. You start seeing parallels everywhere—in modern politics, in business, even in your own life.

Final Verdict

Perfect for anyone who finds people more fascinating than events. If you love character-driven dramas, deep-dive podcasts, or biographies that read like novels, you'll adore this. It's also a goldmine for writers and leaders looking for timeless insights into human nature. Fair warning: the names and places can be a lot at first, but stick with it. Once you get into Plutarch's rhythm, you won't want to leave the ancient world he brings so vividly to life.



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Aiden Clark
4 months ago

A bit long but worth it.

Susan Williams
4 months ago

Recommended.

3.5
3.5 out of 5 (2 User reviews )

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