Plutarch

often remembered for his emphasis on naval power and for his influence on the success of the Greeks during the Persian wars. However, more can be learned from studying Themistocles than war strategy and political conduct. In his work, Themistocles, Plutarch examines the role ambition plays throughout Themistocles’ life. His evaluation serves to highlight the boundaries and dangers of ambition, while emphasizing its double-sided nature. Ambition, in the context of this biography, can be a…

Livy vs Plutarch; a Glimpse at Their Methods The Romans were some of the first detailed historians who were able to really paint a picture of the times when they lived and they took pride in trying to verify their facts as well against other documents. Two such historians, Livy and Plutarch, are amongst the most well know historians of the Roman era. Livy constructed a complete history of Rome from its creation until the death of Augustus, whom Livy served under. Plutarch wrote many…

though both Plutarch and Suetonius talked the life of Caesar, they have different perspectives and show a different Caesar in their work. For example, both of Plutarch and Suetonius talked about Caesar’s affair with Cleopatra, Pharaoh of Egypt. But the way they described it was different. Plutarch Caesar has a detailed description of how Cleopatra captivated Caesar with her beauty and wisdom and relate her to the war on Egypt. She “stretched herself at a full length inside a bed sack”(Plutarch,…

"On Sparta" Book Review Plutarch 's take on the history of "On Sparta" was written in such a way that readers may not take every piece of information literally. One may be led to believe that Plutarch wrote this book with the idea that he was not trying to be historically correct. The exaggerated parts of the lives of Lycurgus, Agesilaus, Agis, and Cleomenes should be understood as more of a fable rather than an actual piece of history. “On Sparta" has a great balance between the lives and…

Georgy Golubev History 111C, Prof. Spyridakis May 20th, 2015 Trials of Power and Will : A Symbol of Hope for Mankind Spartacus has had many accounts written on him from a myriad of different perspectives. His life has been embellished and tarnished, yet in the end it is undeniable that he became a symbol of courage and strength for all of mankind. He has a story of universal appeal and through a few texts we will see how the life of a relatively minor historical figure turns from a…

he accomplished during his time as ruler, was the uniting of the Romans and the Sabines. Numa proved by his actions that he was a better ruler. Numa showed great morality in his decisions and his actions. He changed laws in the name of morality. Plutarch writes saying that Numa commanded, “the repeal or rather amendment of the law which gives power to fathers to sell their…

conquered and the territories he took over worshipped him as a god and even placed him alongside the likes of Zeus and Ra. The main source used to gain knowledge of Alexander’s life stems from historians and philosophers, such as Quintus Curtius, Plutarch, and Arrian. These writers recorded the events that took place in his life as though they shared close ties to Alexander. They also wrote the history of Alexander and believed it to be completely factual. However, these writers were all Roman…

For Shakespeare, it was Plutarch and Geoffery Chaucer. Plutarch was a teacher of philosophy in Rome and wrote Parallel Lives as one of his best-known works. It consists of biographies of notable soldiers and statesmen. Shakespeare used North’s translation of Parallel Lives as his main source for…

fact be Plutarch and Arrian. Plutarch was an ancient historian who recounted the life of Alexander. Plutarch primarily focused on the virtue of Alexander. For example, Plutarch felt that other historians regarded Alexander as an angry, power thirsty individual. Plutarch, however, did not feel this was correct. Contrary to popular belief, Plutarch felt that Alexander was a tremendous leader with strong character and thus, described the many stories of Alexander’s life. In one scenario, Plutarch…

The author of The Life of Alexander the Great, Plutarch, is one of the most famous philosophers in history that also enriched the writing genre of biography. He is known for his biography of famous Greek men and the various morals and virtues they held called Parallel Lives. Plutarch wrote the biography of Alexander nearly 400 years after the leader passed away. Because of the large gap in between Plutarch and Alxander, Plutarch used various anecdotes from other historians like Callithenes,…