@tom.fitzgerald13: Plutarch is one of the most valuable ancient writers we have, but he tells us himself how he should be read: “It is not Histories that I am writing, but Lives.” He wasn’t trying to give a complete account of every war, law or political event. He was interested in character, ambition, courage, vanity, discipline, generosity, weakness and in the small moments that revealed what kind of person someone really was. That’s why his Lives can move from enormous battles to a joke, an insult, a friendship or a private failure. It also means we should use him carefully. Plutarch was often writing centuries after the people he describes, and some of his anecdotes cannot be independently verified. But if you want to understand how the ancient world thought about character and leadership, there are few better writers to read. Further Reading Plutarch — Parallel Lives Tim Duff — Plutarch’s Lives: Exploring Virtue and Vice Plutarch - Age of Alexander

Tom Fitzgerald

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Friday 11 September 2026 10:23:18 GMT