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. The second category is the Moralia, a large collection of essays and dialogues on topics ranging from ethics, religion, and philosophy to literature and customs. 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 crucial source for understanding the character and history of major ancient figures, influencing European thought from the Renaissance onward. The Moralia 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
225 passages
Agesilaus
Ἀγησίλαος
171 passages
Agis and Cleomenes
Ἄγις καὶ Κλεομένης
290 passages
Alcibiades
Ἀλκιβιάδης
2 passages
Alexander
Ἀλέξανδρος
466 passages
Amatory
Ἐρωτικός
7 passages
Amatory Narratives
Ἐρωτικαὶ διγηήσεις
26 passages
Antony
Ἀντώνιος
476 passages
Apophthegms of Kings and Generals
Ἀποφθέγματα βασιλέων καὶ στρατηγῶν
215 passages
Aratus
Ἄρατος
233 passages
Aristides
Ἀριστείδης
144 passages
Artaxerxes
Ἀρταξέρξης
177 passages
Books of Symposiastic Problems
Συμποσιακῶν προβλημάτων βιβλία
775 passages
Brutus
Βροῦτος
285 passages
Caesar
Καῖσαρ
341 passages
Caius Marius
Γάϊος Μάριος
297 passages
Camillus
Κάμιλλος
204 passages
Cato the Younger
Κάτων ὁ Νεώτερος
365 passages
Cicero
Κικέρων
246 passages
Cimon
Κίμων
98 passages
Collection of Parallel Greek and Roman Histories
Συναγωγὴ ἱστοριῶν παραλλήλων Ἑλληνικῶν καὶ
68 passages
Comparison of Agesilaus and Pompey
Ἀγησιλάου καὶ Πομπηΐου σύγκρισις
16 passages
Comparison of Agis and Cleomenes and the Gracchi
Σύγκρισις Ἄγιδος καὶ Κλεομένους καὶ Γράκχων
19 passages
Comparison of Alcibiades and Coriolanus
Ἀλκιβιάδου καὶ Κοριολὰνου σύγκρισις
25 passages
Comparison of Aristeides and Cato
Ἀριστείδου καὶ Κάτωνος σύγκρισις
20 passages
Comparison of Cimon and Lucullus
Κίμωνος καὶ Λουκούλλος σύγκρισις
16 passages
Comparison of Demetrius and Antony
Σύγκρισις Δημητρίου καὶ Ἀντωνίου
19 passages
Comparison of Demosthenes and Cicero
Σύγκρισις Δημοσθένους καὶ Κικέρωνος
13 passages
Comparison of Dion and Brutus
Σύγκρισις Δίωνος καὶ Βρούτου
23 passages
Comparison of Lycurgus and Numa
Λυκούργου καὶ Νομᾶ σύγκρισις
20 passages
Comparison of Lysander and Sulla
Σύγκρισις Λυσάνδρου καὶ Σύλλα
18 passages
Comparison of Nicias and Crassus
Νικίου καὶ Κράσσου σύγκρισις
21 passages
Comparison of Pelopidas and Marcellus
Πελοπίδου καὶ Μαρκέλλου σύγκρισις
15 passages
Comparison of Pericles and Fabius
Περικλέους καὶ Φαβίου σύγκρισις
12 passages
Comparison of Philopoemen and Titus
Σύγκρισις Φιλοποίμενος καὶ Τίτου
15 passages
Comparison of Sertorius and Eumenes
Σύγκρισις Σερτωρίου καὶ Εὐμένους
12 passages
Comparison of Solon and Poplicola
Σόλωνος καὶ Ποπλικόλα σύγκρισις
18 passages
Comparison of Theseus and Romulus
Θησέως καὶ Ῥωμύλου σύγκρισις
21 passages
Comparison of Timoleon and Aemilius
Σύγκρισις Τιμολέοντος καὶ Αἰμιλίου
17 passages
Consolation to Apollonius
Πραμυθητικὸς πρὸς Ἀπολλώνιον
117 passages
Consolation to His Wife
Παραμυθητικός εἰς τὴν γυναῖκα τὴν αὑτου
25 passages
Crassus
Κράσσος
3 passages
Demetrius
Δημήτριος
280 passages
Demosthenes
Δημοσθένης
2 passages
Dion
Δίων
271 passages
Epitome of Comparison of Aristophanes and Menander
Συγκρίσεως Ἀριστοφάνους καὶ Μενάνδρου ἐπιτομή
10 passages
Eumenes
Εὐμένης
122 passages
Fabius Maximus
Φάβιος Μάξιμος
134 passages
Fragments on Epaminondas and Scipio
Ἀποσπάσματα περὶ Ἐπαμεινώνδου καὶ Σκιπίωνος
251 passages
Gaius Marcius
Γάϊος Μάρκιος
211 passages
Galba
Γάλβας
102 passages
How a Young Man Should Listen to Poems
Πῶς δεῖ τὸν νέον ποιημάτων ἀκούειν.
124 passages
How One Might Benefit from Enemies
Πῶς ἄν τις ἀπ ἐχθρῶν ὠφελοῖτο
40 passages
How One Might Distinguish the Flatterer from the Friend
Πῶς ἄν τις διακρίνειε τὸν κόλακα τοῦ φίλοῦ
150 passages
How One Might Perceive His Progress in Virtue
Πῶς ἄν τις αἴσθοιτο ἑαυτοῦ προκόπτοντος ἐπʼ ἀρετή
60 passages
Hygienic Instructions
Ὑγιεινὰ παραγγέλματα
93 passages
Laconian Sayings
Λακαινῶν ἀποφθάγματα
205 passages
Lives of Ten Orators
Περὶ τῶν δέκα ἡτόρων
108 passages
Lucullus
Λούκουλλος
238 passages
Lycurgus
Λυκοῦργος
136 passages
Lysander
Λύσανδρος
128 passages
Marcellus
Μάρκελλος
185 passages
Marcus Cato
Μάρκος Κάτων
148 passages
Marriage Precepts
Γαμικὰ παραγγέλματα
47 passages
Natural Causes
Αἴτια φυσικά
50 passages
Nicias
Νικίας
10 passages
Nomad
Νομᾶς
112 passages
On Affection for Offspring
Περὶ τῆς εἰς τὰ ἔκγονα φιλοστοργίας
27 passages
On Brotherly Love
Περὶ φιλαδελφίας
81 passages
On Common Notions to the Stoics
Περὶ τῶν κοινῶν ἐννοιῶν πρὸς τοὺς Στωικοὺς
154 passages
On Envy and Hatred
Περὶ φθόνου καὶ μίσους
14 passages
On Fate
Περὶ εἱμαρμένης
41 passages
On Flesh-Eating Discourse A
Περὶ σαρκοφαγίας λόγος α′
19 passages
On Flesh-Eating Discourse B
Περὶ σαρκοφαγίας λόγος β′
15 passages
On Flight
Περὶ φυγῆς
51 passages
On Fortune
Περὶ τύχης
16 passages
On Hearing
Περὶ τοῦ ἀκούειν.
65 passages
On Idle Talk
Περὶ ἀδολεσχίας
76 passages
On Inactivity
Περὶ ἀοπγησίας
5 passages
On Isis and Osiris
Περὶ Ἴσιδος και Ὀσίριδος
189 passages
On Love of Wealth
Περὶ φιλοπλουτίας
28 passages
On Lust and Sorrow
Περὶ ἡδονῆς καὶ λύπης
10 passages
On Many Friendships
Περὶ πολυφιλίας
24 passages
On Meddlesomeness
Περὶ πολυπραγμοσύνης
2 passages
On Monarchy, Democracy, and Oligarchy
Περὶ μοναρχίας καὶ δημοκρατίας καὶ ὀλιγαρχίας
7 passages
On Moral Virtue
Περὶ τῆς ἠθικῆς ἀρετῆς
69 passages
On Not Needing to Borrow
Περὶ τοῦ μὴ δεῖν δανείζεσθαι
25 passages
On Praising Oneself Without Envy
Περὶ τοῦ ἑαυτὸν ἐπαινεῖν ἀνεπιφθόνως
53 passages
On Shyness
Περὶ δυσωπίας
46 passages
On Stoic Riddles
Περὶ Στωικῶν ἐνιγμάτων.
141 passages
On Superstition
Περὶ δεισιδαιμονίας
44 passages
On That the Philosopher Should Converse Especially with Rulers
Περὶ τοῦ ὅτι μάλιστα τοῖς ἡγεμόσι δεῖ τὸν
17 passages
On the Creation of the Soul in the Timaeus
Περὶ τῆς ἐν Τιμαίῳ ψυχογονίας
108 passages
On the Daedala at Plataea
Ἀποσπάσματα
2 passages
On the Daimonion of Socrates
Περὶ τοῦ Σωκράτους δαιμονίου
7 passages
On the Departed
Περὶ τῶν ἐκλελοιπότων
162 passages
On the E at Delphi
Περὶ τοῦ Ε τοῦ ἐν Δελφοῖς
57 passages
On the Education of Children
Περὶ παίδων ἀγωγῆς
79 passages
On the Face in the Moon's Orb
Περὶ τοῦ ἐμφαινομένου προσώπου τῷ κύκλῳ τῆς
150 passages
On the Fortune of the Romans
Περὶ τῆς Ῥωμαίων τύχης
53 passages
On the Fortune or Virtue of Alexander, Discourse A. Discourse B
Περὶ τῆς Ἀλεξάνδρου τύχης ἢ ἀρετῆς λόγος Α,
106 passages
On the Malice of Herodotus
Περὶ τῆς Ἡροδότου κακοηθείας
114 passages
On the Primarily Cold
Περὶ τοῦ πρώτως ψυχροῦ
56 passages
On the Proverbs of the Alexandrians
Περὶ τῶν Ἀλεξανδρέων παροιμιῶν
39 passages
On the Pythia Not Giving Oracles in Verse Now
Περὶ τοῦ μὴ χρᾶν ἔμμετρα νῦν τὴν Πυθίαν
9 passages
On Those Punished Slowly by the Divine
Περὶ τῶν ὑπὸ τοῦ θείου βραδέως τιμωρουμένων
108 passages
On Tranquility
Περὶ εὐθυμίας
2 passages
On Using Reason with the Irrational
Περὶ τοῦ τὰ ἄλογα λόγῳ χρῆσθαι
34 passages
On Virtue and Vice
Περὶ ἀρετῆς καὶ κακιάς
9 passages
On Whether Water or Fire Is More Useful
Περὶ τοῦ πότερον ὕδωρ ἢ πῦρ χρησιμώτερον
19 passages
Otho
Ὄθων
73 passages
Pelopidas
Πελοπίδας
199 passages
Pericles
Περικλῆς
177 passages
Philopoemen
Φιλοποίμην
123 passages
Phocion
Φωκίων
178 passages
Platonic Questions
Πλατωνικὰ ζητήματα
71 passages
Political Precepts
Πολιτικὰ παραγγέλματα
150 passages
Pompeius
Πομπήϊος
327 passages
Poplicola
Ποπλικόλας
125 passages
Proverbs Used by Alexandrians
Παροιμίαι αἷς Ἀλεξανδρεῖς ἐχρῶντο
87 passages
Pyrrhus
Πύρρος
268 passages
Roman and Greek Causes
Αἴτια Ἑλληνικά
210 passages
Romulus
Ῥωμύλος
174 passages
SelectiImpossibilities
Ἐκλογὴ περὶ τῶν ἀδυνάτων
21 passages
Sertorius
Σερτώριος
147 passages
Solon
Σόλων
169 passages
Sulla
Σύλλας
175 passages
Summary of Stoics Saying More Paradoxical Things Than Poets
Σύνοψις τοῦ ὅτι παραδοξότερα οἱ Στωικοὶ τῶν
9 passages
Summary of the Soul's Creation in the Timaeus
Ἐπιτομὴ τοῦ περὶ τῆς ἐν τῷ Τιμαίῳ ψυχογονίας
13 passages
Symposium of the Seven Sages
Πων επτά σοφών συμπόσιον
110 passages
That It Is Not Possible to Live Pleasantly According to Epicurus
Ὅτι οὐδ ἡδέως ζῆν ἔστι κατ Ἐπίκουρον
22 passages
Themistocles
Θεμιστοκλῆς
147 passages
Theseus
Θησεύς
149 passages
Tiberius and Caius Gracchus
Τιβέριος καὶ Γάϊος Γράκχος
197 passages
Timoleon
Τιμολέων
177 passages
Titus Flamininus
Τίτος Φλαμινῖνος
109 passages
To an Uneducated Governor
Πρὸς ἡγεμόνα ἀπαίδευτον
20 passages
To Colotes
Πρὸς Κωλώτην
116 passages
Virtues of Women
Γυναικῶν ἀρεταί
124 passages
Whether An Elder Should Engage In Politics
Εἰ πρεσβυτέρῳ πολιτευτέον
73 passages
Whether Athenians Are More Renowned for War or Wisdom
Πότερον Ἀθηναῖοι κατὰ πόλεμον ἢ κατὰ σοφίαν
32 passages
Whether Land or Water Animals Are Wiser
Πότερα τῶν ζῴων φρονιμώτερα τὰ χερσαῖα ἢ τὰ ἔνυδρα
24 passages
Whether Live Unnoticed Is Well Said
Εἰ καλῶς εἴρηται τὸ λάθε βιώτας
14 passages
Whether the Mind's Faculty is Passive Life
Εἰ ἡ τοῦ νοῦ δύναμις παθητικὸς βίος
8 passages
Whether the Soul's or Body's Passions Are Worse
Ποτερον τὰ τῆς ψυχῆς ἢ τὰ τοῦ σώματος πάθη χείρονα
10 passages
Whether Vice Suffices For Misfortune
Εἰ αὐτάρκης ἡ κακία πρὸς κακοδαιμονίαν
12 passages
Whether Virtue Is Teachable
Εἰ διδακτὸν ἡ ἀρετή
6 passages