Plutarch's Lives

What Are Plutarch's Lives About?

Plutarch pairs 23 Greek statesmen and generals with their Roman counterparts, comparing their characters and careers. Each biography tells the subject's life story with attention to the revealing anecdote — the small moments that show who someone really is.

Among the most famous Lives: Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, Pericles, Coriolanus, Mark Antony, and Brutus. Plutarch is less interested in dates and battles than in character: What made these men great? What were their flaws? What can we learn from their examples?

Plutarch himself says he writes biography, not history: "I am not writing history but lives... a small thing like a phrase or a jest often makes a greater revelation of character than battles where thousands fall."

Why Plutarch's Lives Still Matter

• Character education: Plutarch's explicit purpose is moral — he writes to provide models of virtue and cautionary examples of vice.
• Shakespeare's source: Julius Caesar, Antony and Cleopatra, and Coriolanus are drawn directly from Plutarch.
• The Founders: America's founding fathers were steeped in Plutarch. Hamilton, Jefferson, and Adams all read him.
• Comparative biography: The parallel structure teaches students to think comparatively about different cultures and eras.

Why Classical Schools Teach It

Plutarch is a staple of the Great Books curriculum, especially in the logic stage. At Saints Classical Academy, selected Lives are read alongside the study of ancient history.

• Brings ancient history to life through vivid, character-driven narrative
• Develops comparative thinking and moral reasoning
• Accessible and engaging for younger students (grades 7–10)
• Connects to the study of Latin, Greek, and ancient civilization