View source for Plutarch

===''Parallel Lives''===
{{Main|Parallel Lives}}

Plutarch's best-known work is the ''Parallel Lives'', a series of [[biography|biographies]] of illustrious Greeks and Romans, arranged in pairs to illuminate their common [[morality|moral]] virtues and vices, thus it being more of an insight into human nature than a [[History|historical]] account. As is explained in the opening paragraph of his ''Life of Alexander'',<ref>{{Cite book|last=Plutarch|title=The life of Alexander|page=1}}</ref> Plutarch was not concerned with history so much as the influence of character, good or bad, on the lives and destinies of men. Whereas sometimes he barely touched on epoch-making events, he devoted much space to charming anecdote and incidental triviality, reasoning that this often said far more for his subjects than even their most famous accomplishments. He sought to provide rounded portraits, likening his craft to that of a painter; indeed, he went to tremendous lengths (often leading to tenuous comparisons) to draw [[Physiognomy|parallels between physical appearance]] and [[moral character]].{{citation needed|date=July 2021}}

The surviving ''Lives'' contain 23 pairs, each with one Greek life and one Roman life, as well as four unpaired single lives. Some of the ''Lives'', such as those of [[Heracles]], [[Philip II of Macedon]], [[Epaminondas]], [[Scipio Africanus]], [[Scipio Aemilianus]] and possibly [[Quintus Caecilius Metellus Numidicus]] no longer exist; many of the remaining ''Lives'' are truncated, contain obvious [[lacuna (manuscripts)|lacunae]] or have been tampered with by later writers.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Plutarch |url=https://www.historyofcreativity.com/cid152/plutarch |access-date=2026-04-29 |website=www.historyofcreativity.com}}</ref>

Extant ''Lives'' include those on [[Solon]], [[Themistocles]], [[Aristides]], [[Agesilaus II]], [[Pericles]], [[Alcibiades]], [[Nicias]], [[Demosthenes]], [[Pelopidas]], [[Philopoemen]], [[Timoleon]], [[Dion of Syracuse]], [[Eumenes]], [[Alexander the Great]], [[Pyrrhus of Epirus]], [[Romulus]], [[Numa Pompilius]], [[Gaius Marcius Coriolanus|Coriolanus]], [[Theseus]], [[Aemilius Paullus]], [[Tiberius Gracchus]], [[Gaius Gracchus]], [[Gaius Marius]], [[Lucius Cornelius Sulla|Sulla]], [[Sertorius]], [[Lucullus]], [[Pompey]], [[Julius Caesar]], [[Cicero]], [[Cato the Elder]], [[Cato the Younger]], [[Mark Antony]], and [[Marcus Junius Brutus]].

====''Life of Alexander''====
{{quote box|bgcolor=#c6dbf7|width=30em
|"It is not ''histories'' I am writing, but ''lives''; and in the most glorious deeds there is not always an indication of virtue or vice, indeed a small thing like a phrase or a jest often makes a greater revelation of a character than battles where thousands die."|''Life of Alexander'' }}
Plutarch's ''Life of Alexander'', written as a parallel to that of Julius Caesar, is one of five extant tertiary sources on the Macedonian conqueror [[Alexander the Great]]. It includes [[anecdote]]s and descriptions of events that appear in no other source, just as Plutarch's portrait of [[Numa Pompilius]], the putative second king of Rome, holds much that is unique on the early [[Roman calendar]]. Plutarch devotes a great deal of space to Alexander's drive and desire, and strives to determine how much of it was presaged in his youth. He also draws extensively on the work of [[Lysippos]], Alexander's favourite [[sculptor]], to provide what is probably the fullest and most accurate description of the conqueror's physical appearance. When it comes to his character, Plutarch emphasizes his unusual degree of self-control and scorn for luxury: "He desired not pleasure or wealth, but only excellence and glory." As the narrative progresses, the subject incurs less admiration from his biographer and the deeds that it recounts become less savoury. The murder of [[Cleitus the Black]], which Alexander instantly and deeply regretted, is commonly cited to this end.{{citation needed|date=May 2024}}

====''Life of Caesar''====
Together with [[Suetonius]]'s ''[[The Twelve Caesars]]'', and [[Julius Caesar|Caesar]]'s own works [[Commentarii de Bello Gallico|''de Bello Gallico'']] and ''[[Commentarii de Bello Civili|de Bello Civili]]'', the ''Life of Caesar'' is the main account of [[Julius Caesar]]'s feats by ancient historians. Plutarch starts by telling of the audacity of Caesar and his refusal to dismiss [[Lucius Cornelius Cinna|Cinna's]] daughter, [[Cornelia (wife of Caesar)|Cornelia]]. Other important parts are those containing his military deeds, accounts of battles and Caesar's capacity of inspiring the soldiers.

Plutarch's life shows few differences from Suetonius' work and Caesar's own works (see ''[[De Bello Gallico]]'' and ''[[De Bello Civili]]''). Sometimes, Plutarch quotes directly from the ''De Bello Gallico'' and even tells us of the moments when Caesar was dictating his works. In the final part of this life, Plutarch recounts details of [[Assassination of Julius Caesar|Caesar's assassination]]. It ends by telling the destiny of his murderers, just after a detailed account of the scene when a [[Ghost|phantom]] appeared to [[Marcus Junius Brutus|Brutus]] at night.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Plutarch|title=The life of Caesar}}</ref>

====''Life of Pyrrhus''====
Plutarch's ''Life of Pyrrhus'' is a key text because it is the main historical account on Roman history for the period from 293 to 264&nbsp;BCE, for which both [[Dionysius of Halicarnassus|Dionysius]]' and [[Livy]]'s texts are lost.<ref name=TJCornell>{{cite book |last=Cornell |first=T.J. |year=1995 |title=The Beginnings of Rome: Italy and Rome from the Bronze Age to the Punic Wars (c.&nbsp;1000–264&nbsp;BC) |publisher=Routledge |page=3 |chapter=Introduction}}</ref>