Searching for: "Plutarch"

  • Plutarch

    Conquering and blood money – without it, and without the help of Lucius Licinius Lucullus, the Roman empire would have been a lot different. Plutarch details Lucullus’ intense military life, through which he finds himself the head of much of Rome’s eastern territories. Surely deaths abound, but for Romans, the pillaging of other lands meant significant overhaul of public works. Said to have lost his mind in his later years, Plutarch overlooks this and says that his apparent insanity might not have been all that it...read more

  • Plutarch

    The Life of Alexander is one of many notable Greek figure biographies written by Plutarch in his series “Parallel Lives”. Alexander is arguably one of the most notable Greek figures, immortalized in stories and legends that are commonly used in mythology classes today. With the lingering feeling of discontent after the Persian invasion and the political unrest that surrounded him, his life made for an interesting topic in Plutarch’s works. Parallel lives is often lauded as one of the most reliable references to Alexander’s life that is currently...read more

  • Plutarch

    Pelopidas started out a hero to the people, being born under a noble family and making a name for himself as an athlete. But as Plutarch describes in Pelopidas’s chapter of Parallel Lives, there was a lot more to this man than could be seen. Being very generous with his wealth to the less fortunate of the town, Pelopidas also went on to lead the army. By the end of his life, his patriotism did not go unnoticed – and was ultimately what led to his untimely...read more

  • Plutarch

    Though Sparta and Greece were once bitter rivals, this did not stop Plutarch from writing about Spartan figureheads in his book, Parallel lives. Cleomenes was one of these Spartan figureheads – and was the King of Sparta for many years. From involvement in many wars to his effort to maintain the Spartan state, Cleomenes was still not free from drama. His life ended tragically at his own hands after one final Spartan defeat, but his legacy lived on through the works of Plutarch and...read more

  • Plutarch

    One of the many documented lives in Plutarch’s Parallel Lives series, The Life of Coriolanus looks into the controversial life of one of Rome’s most famous generals. When the town of Corioli was under siege, Coriolanus gathered a group of men together to fight for freedom. Always loyal to his town, he advocated during the Roman grain shortage that any grain stocks be divvied out based on loyalty. Because of his harsh views, he was eventually exiled – but he never stopped fighting for what he believed to be...read more

  • Plutarch

    To understand the relationship between Athens and Sparta, Plutarch set out to examine the lives of Greece and all its former and current rivals in his Parallel Lives series. Agesilaus was one of those lives and was a notable king of Sparta prior to the Athens-Spartan war. Although he won and lost many battles for the city, his legacy lived on. He was a short-statured, lame man who managed to rule an entire city state – and many looked up to him after his...read more

  • Plutarch

    The Life of Timoleon, as told by Plutarch in Parallel lives, is a twisted and intriguing one. Deemed fiercely patriotic for helping plan the assassination of his tyrannical brother, Timoleon was multifaceted. He was integral in helping the citizens of Sicily, as well as his own citizens. But for the many things that he did, Timoleon suffered a lonely end – only to be celebrated further after his...read more

  • Plutarch

    The Life of Demetrius is only one of the many biographies documented in Plutarch’s Parallel Lives. Young when he came to rule, Demetrius was only 22 when he was given defense of Syria by his father. After a series of military failures and wins, he moved to Athens and attempted to free the city a number of times. Eventually after a successful rule of Macedonia, things took a downward turn for...read more

  • Plutarch

    Cato the Younger was one of the many biographies documented by Plutarch in his series called Parallel Lives. Related to Cato the Elder, Cato the Younger was also a student of philosophy as well as a Roman Statesman. Afterhis father died and he gained his inheritance, Cato the Younger began his life as philosopher, warrior, and political leader. His life ended, as so many Roman lives did back then, in...read more

  • Plutarch

    When it came to Athens and their leaders, few were as influential as the politician and Stratego Nicias. In Plutarch’s Parallel Lives, he documents the Peloponnesian War and other great achievements of the time through the life of Nicias. Most importantly, he helped negotiate peace after a decades-long war, which made him popular after an unsuccessful start in politics. However, after many years of political truces and actions, his life took a turn for the...read more

  • Plutarch

    We all know the founder of Rome, but do we know much about the widely-proclaimed second founder of Rome? The monarchy, tyranny, and victorious battles of Marcus Furius Camillus, the second founder, are documented in Plutarch’s Parallel Lives. After the destruction of Veii, Camillus returned to Rome as a pompous victor and dictator, causing quite a stir when he refused to follow the wishes of the senate when it came to dealing with Veii. Sensing banishment was in his future, Camillus’s time in Rome was much less bloody than many of his...read more

  • Plutarch

    The Life of Aratus is one of the many biographies detailed in Plutarch’s integral work, Parallel Lives. In the Life of Aratus, Plutarch details the dynamic work done by the successor of Nicocles and talks about his advocacy to turn Greece into a united country. Working as a soldier first and then a diplomat, he fought for the betterment of his fellow countrymen. Disaster hit during his later reign, as it so often did, and though many wanted him dead, the great Oracle at Delphi had other...read more

  • Plutarch

    One of the more hotly contested lives documented in Plutarch’s Parallel Lives, the Life of Dion investigates the intense politics of the tyrant of Syracuse. Starting out in politics, he initially was one of Dionysus’ most trusted advisors. But after Dionysus expressed that he no longer wanted to be a tyrant, which went against the advisement of Dion, his most trusted advisor was...read more

  • Plutarch

    This second volume of 'Plutarch’s Lives' introduces the reader to even more important figures of the ancient world. Sertorius, Eumenes, Pompey, Alexander, Caesar and Cicero are only a small part of all the historical figures Plutarch describes. The philosopher produces character sketches of each persons, based on episodes of their lives. Thanks to Plutarch work and B. J. Harrison excellent narration, you will gain a better understanding of the ancient world and the lives of noble Greeks and Romans. B. J. Harrison started his Classic Tales Podcast back in 2007, wanting to breathe new life into classic stories. He masterfully plays with a wide array of voices and accents and has since then...read more

  • Plutarch

    If you want to start a study of the classical world, this is the right book to begin with. Written by one of the greatest biographers of all time, 'Plutarch’s Lives' tells us the brilliant history of the ancient world. In this first volume, you will find a detailed profiles and comparisons of Romulus and Theseus, Fabius and Pericles, along with many other of the greatest figures of ancient Greece, Rome, Macedonia, Sparta, Persia and Egypt. Thanks to Plutarch work and B. J. Harrison excellent narration, you will gain a better understanding of the ancient world and the lives of noble Greeks and Romans. B. J. Harrison started his Classic Tales Podcast back in 2007, wanting to breathe new...read more

  • Plutarch

    One of the world’s most profoundly influential literary works and the basis for Shakespeare’s Roman plays (Julius Caesar, Coriolanus, and Antony and Cleopatra), Plutarch’s Lives have been entertaining and arousing the spirit of emulation in countless readers since their creation at the beginning of the second century. Originally named Parallel Lives, the work pairs eminent Romans with famous Greek counterparts—like the orators Cicero and Demosthenes—giving illuminating treatments of each separately and then comparing the two in a pithy essay. This second and final volume includes Alexander and Caesar, Demetrius and Antony, Dion and Marcus Brutus, the...read more

  • Plutarch

    Though best known now for his collection of lively and vivid Parallel Lives from ancient Greece and Rome, Plutarch (c46 CD-120 CE) was, for centuries, more respected for his Moralia, a remarkable and wide-ranging collection of essays and speeches. No fewer than 78 in total, they range over a broad list of topics in which Plutarch observes, dispenses wisdom, admonishes, entertains and informs: covering social issues and politics, manners and religion - in short, life in general. In this collection, volume 1 of the Ukemi series, are 26 Ethical Essays, a fascinating compilation, again wide-ranging: 'On Education of Children', 'On Love to One's Offspring', 'On Virtue and Vice', 'On Abundance...read more

  • Plutarch

    Lucius Mestrius Plutarchus (46 ce - after 119) was born in Chaeronea, Boeotia, to a wealthy Greek family and assumed his full Latin name on becoming a Roman citizen. He made the most of his varied background and experience as a philosopher, magistrate, ambassador and priest at the Delphic Temple of Apollo, to become one of the most important biographers and essayists of classical Greek and Roman times. His Parallel Lives, which recounts and describes the personalities and achievements of the great figures of the era, is his most well-known (and voluminous) text. But Moralia, his collection of essays on a rich variety of subjects, continues to fascinate and educate. Volume 2 comprises 17...read more