Plutarch's Lives – Plutarch

"It is not in the most public achievements that the most potent virtue or vice is shown."

In this monumental collection of biographies, the Greek historian Plutarch pairs famous Greeks with famous Romans (e.g., Alexander the Great with Julius Caesar) to illuminate their characters and moral virtues. He focuses less on history than on the soul of the man, looking for the telling anecdote that reveals his true nature.

Plutarch's Lives influenced Shakespeare, Montaigne, and Napoleon. It is a treasury of classical history and a timeless study of leadership, ambition, and the human character. It remains one of the most readable works of antiquity.