Plutarch was a Greek philosopher, biographer, and priest who lived during the 1st and 2nd centuries CE, a period when Greece was part of the Roman Empire. He was born into a prominent family in the town of Chaeronea and received an extensive education in Athens. Although he traveled to Rome and gained Roman citizenship, he spent most of his life in his hometown, where he was active in local politics and served as a priest at the Oracle of Delphi.
His vast body of work falls into two main categories. The most famous are the Parallel Lives, a series of paired biographies comparing notable Greek and Roman statesmen and military leaders, each pair closing with a comparison, a formal comparison — the held Greek of the paired Agesilaus and Pompey is headed Agēsilaou and Pompēiou comparison. The second category is the Moral Essays, a large collection of essays and dialogues on topics ranging from ethics, religion, and philosophy to literature and customs, including On the E at Delphi and the essay on perceiving one's progress upon' aretēn, toward excellence. Together, these works represent one of the largest surviving literary corpora from the ancient world.
Plutarch’s historical importance is immense. His Parallel Lives became a model for biography and a main source for the character and history of major ancient figures, influencing European thought from the Renaissance onward. The Moral Essays provides a detailed window into the intellectual and ethical concerns of his era. As a Platonist philosopher, he is also seen as an important figure in the development of later Platonic tradition, blending philosophical inquiry with practical moral guidance.
Available Works
Aemilius Paulus
Αἰμίλιος Παῦλος
519 passages
Agesilaus
Ἀγησίλαος
599 passages
Agis and Cleomenes
Ἄγις καὶ Κλεομένης
723 passages
Alcibiades
Ἀλκιβιάδης
599 passages
Alexander
Ἀλέξανδρος
1134 passages
Amatory
Ἐρωτικός
727 passages
Amatory Narratives
Ἐρωτικαὶ διγηήσεις
128 passages
Antony
Ἀντώνιος
1050 passages
Apophthegms of Kings and Generals
Ἀποφθέγματα βασιλέων καὶ στρατηγῶν
980 passages
Aratus
Ἄρατος
620 passages
Aretai of Women
Γυναικῶν Ἀρεταί
552 passages
Aristides
Ἀριστείδης
448 passages
Artaxerxes
Ἀρταξέρξης
421 passages
Books of Symposiastic Problems
Συμποσιακῶν προβλημάτων βιβλία
3945 passages
Brutus
Βροῦτος
670 passages
Caesar
Καῖσαρ
855 passages
Caius Marius
Γάϊος Μάριος
676 passages
Camillus
Κάμιλλος
589 passages
Cato the Younger
Κάτων ὁ Νεώτερος
914 passages
Cicero
Κικέρων
649 passages
Cimon
Κίμων
351 passages
Collection of Parallel Greek and Roman Histories
Συναγωγὴ ἱστοριῶν παραλλήλων Ἑλληνικῶν καὶ
439 passages
Comparison of Agesilaus and Pompey
Ἀγησιλάου καὶ Πομπηΐου σύγκρισις
62 passages
Comparison of Agis and Cleomenes and the Gracchi
Σύγκρισις Ἄγιδος καὶ Κλεομένους καὶ Γράκχων
54 passages
Comparison of Alcibiades and Coriolanus
Ἀλκιβιάδου καὶ Κοριολὰνου σύγκρισις
57 passages
Comparison of Aristeides and Cato
Ἀριστείδου καὶ Κάτωνος σύγκρισις
83 passages
Comparison of Cimon and Lucullus
Κίμωνος καὶ Λουκούλλος σύγκρισις
60 passages
Comparison of Demetrius and Antony
Σύγκρισις Δημητρίου καὶ Ἀντωνίου
45 passages
Comparison of Demosthenes and Cicero
Σύγκρισις Δημοσθένους καὶ Κικέρωνος
49 passages
Comparison of Dion and Brutus
Σύγκρισις Δίωνος καὶ Βρούτου
47 passages
Comparison of Lycurgus and Numa
Λυκούργου καὶ Νομᾶ σύγκρισις
89 passages
Comparison of Lysander and Sulla
Σύγκρισις Λυσάνδρου καὶ Σύλλα
79 passages
Comparison of Nicias and Crassus
Νικίου καὶ Κράσσου σύγκρισις
65 passages
Comparison of Pelopidas and Marcellus
Πελοπίδου καὶ Μαρκέλλου σύγκρισις
42 passages
Comparison of Pericles and Fabius
Περικλέους καὶ Φαβίου σύγκρισις
39 passages
Comparison of Philopoemen and Titus
Σύγκρισις Φιλοποίμενος καὶ Τίτου
26 passages
Comparison of Sertorius and Eumenes
Σύγκρισις Σερτωρίου καὶ Εὐμένους
20 passages
Comparison of Solon and Poplicola
Σόλωνος καὶ Ποπλικόλα σύγκρισις
54 passages
Comparison of Theseus and Romulus
Θησέως καὶ Ῥωμύλου σύγκρισις
61 passages
Comparison of Timoleon and Aemilius
Σύγκρισις Τιμολέοντος καὶ Αἰμιλίου
22 passages
Consolation to Apollonius
Πραμυθητικὸς πρὸς Ἀπολλώνιον
729 passages
Consolation to His Wife
Παραμυθητικός εἰς τὴν γυναῖκα τὴν αὑτου
107 passages
Crassus
Κράσσος
564 passages
Demetrius
Δημήτριος
680 passages
Demosthenes
Δημοσθένης
373 passages
Dion
Δίων
595 passages
Epitome of Comparison of Aristophanes and Menander
Συγκρίσεως Ἀριστοφάνους καὶ Μενάνδρου ἐπιτομή
57 passages
Eumenes
Εὐμένης
283 passages
Fabius Maximus
Φάβιος Μάξιμος
433 passages
Fragments on Epaminondas and Scipio
Ἀποσπάσματα περὶ Ἐπαμεινώνδου καὶ Σκιπίωνος
1645 passages
Gaius Marcius
Γάϊος Μάρκιος
542 passages
Galba
Γάλβας
338 passages
How a Young Man Should Listen to Poems
Πῶς δεῖ τὸν νέον ποιημάτων ἀκούειν.
904 passages
How One Might Benefit from Enemies
Πῶς ἄν τις ἀπ ἐχθρῶν ὠφελοῖτο
193 passages
How One Might Distinguish the Flatterer from the Friend
Πῶς ἄν τις διακρίνειε τὸν κόλακα τοῦ φίλοῦ
735 passages
How One Might Perceive His Progress in Aretē
Πῶς ἄν τις αἴσθοιτο ἑαυτοῦ προκόπτοντος ἐπʼ ἀρετῇ
270 passages
Hygienic Instructions
Ὑγιεινὰ παραγγέλματα
368 passages
Laconian Sayings
Ἀποφθέγματα Λακωνικά
1048 passages
Laconian Sayings: Sayings of Spartan Women
Ἀποφθέγματα Λακωνικά, Λακαινῶν Ἀποφθέγματα
80 passages
Laconian Sayings: Sayings of Spartans
Ἀποφθέγματα Λακωνικά, Ἀποφθέγματα Λακωνικά
856 passages
Laconian Sayings: Spartan Institutions
Ἀποφθέγματα Λακωνικά, Τὰ Παλαιὰ τῶν Λακεδαιμονίων Ἐπιτηδεύματα
112 passages
Lives of Ten Orators
Περὶ τῶν δέκα ἡτόρων
576 passages
Lucullus
Λούκουλλος
745 passages
Lycurgus
Λυκοῦργος
520 passages
Lysander
Λύσανδρος
467 passages
Marcellus
Μάρκελλος
444 passages
Marcus Cato
Μάρκος Κάτων
446 passages
Marriage Precepts
Γαμικὰ παραγγέλματα
212 passages
Natural Causes
Αἴτια φυσικά
291 passages
Nicias
Νικίας
509 passages
Numa
Νομᾶς
407 passages
On Affection for Offspring
Περὶ τῆς εἰς τὰ ἔκγονα φιλοστοργίας
140 passages
On Aretē and Vice
Περὶ Ἀρετῆς καὶ Κακίας
46 passages
On Brotherly Love
Περὶ φιλαδελφίας
357 passages
On Common Notions to the Stoics
Περὶ τῶν κοινῶν ἐννοιῶν πρὸς τοὺς Στωικοὺς
841 passages
On Envy and Hatred
Περὶ φθόνου καὶ μίσους
57 passages
On Flesh-Eating Discourse A
Περὶ σαρκοφαγίας λόγος α′
100 passages
On Flesh-Eating Discourse B
Περὶ σαρκοφαγίας λόγος β′
79 passages
On Flight
Περὶ φυγῆς
271 passages
On Fortune
Περὶ τύχης
90 passages
On Hearing
Περὶ τοῦ ἀκούειν.
268 passages
On Heimarmenē
Περὶ Εἱμαρμένης
191 passages
On Idle Talk
Περὶ ἀδολεσχίας
403 passages
On Inactivity
Περὶ ἀοπγησίας
332 passages
On Isis and Osiris
Περὶ Ἴσιδος και Ὀσίριδος
833 passages
On Love of Wealth
Περὶ φιλοπλουτίας
143 passages
On Lust and Sorrow
Περὶ ἡδονῆς καὶ λύπης
100 passages
On Many Friendships
Περὶ πολυφιλίας
122 passages
On Meddlesomeness
Περὶ πολυπραγμοσύνης
236 passages
On Monarchy, Democracy, and Oligarchy
Περὶ μοναρχίας καὶ δημοκρατίας καὶ ὀλιγαρχίας
38 passages
On Moral Aretē
Περὶ τῆς ἠθικῆς ἀρετῆς
317 passages
On Not Needing to Borrow
Περὶ τοῦ μὴ δεῖν δανείζεσθαι
152 passages
On Praising Oneself Without Envy
Περὶ τοῦ ἑαυτὸν ἐπαινεῖν ἀνεπιφθόνως
250 passages
On Shyness
Περὶ δυσωπίας
212 passages
On Stoic Contradictions
Περὶ Στωικῶν ἐναντιωμάτων
702 passages
On Superstition
Περὶ δεισιδαιμονίας
220 passages
On That the Philosopher Should Converse Especially with Rulers
Περὶ τοῦ ὅτι μάλιστα τοῖς ἡγεμόσι δεῖ τὸν
88 passages
On the Creation of the Psychē in the Timaeus
Περὶ τῆς ἐν Τιμαίῳ Ψυχογονίας
479 passages
On the Daedala at Plataea
Ἀποσπάσματα
31 passages
On the Daimonion of Socrates
Περὶ τοῦ Σωκράτους δαιμονίου
679 passages
On the Departed
Περὶ τῶν ἐκλελοιπότων
753 passages
On the E at Delphi
Περὶ τοῦ Ε τοῦ ἐν Δελφοῖς
273 passages
On the Education of Children
Περὶ παίδων ἀγωγῆς
411 passages
On the Face in the Moon's Orb
Περὶ τοῦ ἐμφαινομένου προσώπου τῷ κύκλῳ τῆς
750 passages
On the Fortune of the Romans
Περὶ τῆς Ῥωμαίων τύχης
264 passages
On the Fortune or Aretē of Alexander, Discourse A. Discourse B
Περὶ τῆς Ἀλεξάνδρου Τύχης ἢ Ἀρετῆς, Λόγος Αʹ, Λόγος Βʹ
507 passages
On the Malice of Herodotus
Περὶ τῆς Ἡροδότου κακοηθείας
544 passages
On the Primarily Cold
Περὶ τοῦ πρώτως ψυχροῦ
302 passages
On the Proverbs of the Alexandrians
Περὶ τῶν Ἀλεξανδρέων παροιμιῶν
251 passages
On the Pythia Not Giving Oracles in Verse Now
Περὶ τοῦ μὴ χρᾶν ἔμμετρα νῦν τὴν Πυθίαν
436 passages
On Those Punished Slowly by the Divine
Περὶ τῶν ὑπὸ τοῦ θείου βραδέως τιμωρουμένων
494 passages
On Tranquility
Περὶ εὐθυμίας
393 passages
On Using Reason with the Irrational
Περὶ τοῦ τὰ ἄλογα λόγῳ χρῆσθαι
197 passages
On Whether Water or Fire Is More Useful
Περὶ τοῦ πότερον ὕδωρ ἢ πῦρ χρησιμώτερον
115 passages
Otho
Ὄθων
225 passages
Pelopidas
Πελοπίδας
518 passages
Pericles
Περικλῆς
526 passages
Philopoemen
Φιλοποίμην
301 passages
Phocion
Φωκίων
456 passages
Platonic Questions
Πλατωνικὰ ζητήματα
366 passages
Political Precepts
Πολιτικὰ παραγγέλματα
710 passages
Pompey
Πομπήϊος
1126 passages
Poplicola
Ποπλικόλας
322 passages
Proverbs Used by Alexandrians
Παροιμίαι αἷς Ἀλεξανδρεῖς ἐχρῶντο
264 passages
Pyrrhus
Πύρρος
600 passages
Roman and Greek Questions
Αἴτια Ῥωμαϊκὰ καὶ Ἑλληνικά
1212 passages
Roman and Greek Questions: Greek Questions
Αἴτια Ῥωμαϊκὰ καὶ Ἑλληνικά, Αἴτια Ἑλληνικά
390 passages
Roman and Greek Questions: Roman Questions
Αἴτια Ῥωμαϊκὰ καὶ Ἑλληνικά, Αἴτια Ῥωμαϊκά
822 passages
Romulus
Ῥωμύλος
551 passages
Selection on Impossibilities
Ἐκλογὴ περὶ τῶν ἀδυνάτων
56 passages
Sertorius
Σερτώριος
341 passages
Solon
Σόλων
521 passages
Sulla
Σύλλας
612 passages
Summary of Stoics Saying More Paradoxical Things Than Poets
Σύνοψις τοῦ ὅτι παραδοξότερα οἱ Στωικοὶ τῶν
30 passages
Summary of the Psychē's Creation in the Timaeus
Ἐπιτομὴ τοῦ Περὶ τῆς ἐν τῷ Τιμαίῳ Ψυχογονίας
58 passages
Symposium of the Seven Sages
Πων επτά σοφών συμπόσιον
574 passages
That It Is Not Possible to Live Pleasantly According to Epicurus
Ὅτι οὐδ ἡδέως ζῆν ἔστι κατ Ἐπίκουρον
547 passages
Themistocles
Θεμιστοκλῆς
472 passages
Theseus
Θησεύς
437 passages
Tiberius and Caius Gracchus
Τιβέριος καὶ Γάϊος Γράκχος
491 passages
Timoleon
Τιμολέων
452 passages
Titus Flamininus
Τίτος Φλαμινῖνος
315 passages
To an Uneducated Governor
Πρὸς ἡγεμόνα ἀπαίδευτον
98 passages
To Colotes
Πρὸς Κωλώτην
571 passages
Whether An Elder Should Engage In Politics
Εἰ πρεσβυτέρῳ πολιτευτέον
363 passages
Whether Aretē Is Teachable
Εἰ Διδακτὸν ἡ Ἀρετή
49 passages
Whether Athenians Are More Renowned for War or Wisdom
Πότερον Ἀθηναῖοι κατὰ πόλεμον ἢ κατὰ σοφίαν
162 passages
Whether Land or Water Animals Are Wiser
Πότερα τῶν ζῴων φρονιμώτερα τὰ χερσαῖα ἢ τὰ ἔνυδρα
762 passages
Whether Live Unnoticed Is Well Said
Εἰ καλῶς εἴρηται τὸ λάθε βιώτας
88 passages
Whether the Faculty of Nous is Passive Life
Εἰ ἡ τοῦ νοῦ δύναμις παθητικὸς βίος
79 passages
Whether the Psychē's or Body's Passions Are Worse
Πότερον τὰ τῆς Ψυχῆς ἢ τὰ τοῦ Σώματος Πάθη Χείρονα
54 passages
Whether Vice Suffices For Misfortune
Εἰ αὐτάρκης ἡ κακία πρὸς κακοδαιμονίαν
53 passages
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