Plutarch

Plutarch defined for all ages the character of Greek and Roman moral identity. He studied what constitutes the best in a human being, and which, in turn, determines a person's role in the world. Blending history and biography, Plutarch evokes the characters of great leaders in history. He systematically pairs a Greek with a Roman, comparing characters and lives with similar careers so as to serve his particular goal of moral instruction. In vivid...

"The philosopher, statesman, and moralist Plutarch of Chaeronia (first and early second centuries CE) begins his essay Political Advice, wherein he advises a man about how to embark upon a career in government and how to become an effective leader by saying: 'First of all, let the primary motivation for political activity be a conscious choice based on judgment and reason, which serves as a firm and strong foundation, and let the choice not be rashly...

"Dramatic artist and philosopher, Plutarch is widely regarded as the most significant writer of his era, and this collection, taken from his Lives, illuminates the twilight of the old Roman Republic from 120 to 43 B.C. Here he provides sharp and succinct biographies of the greatest statesmen of this turbulent period. Whether describing the power struggle between Marius and Sulla, the battle between Crassus and Spartacus, the death of political idealist...