Synopses & Reviews
Plutarch’s vivid and engaging portraits of the Spartans and their customs are a major source of our knowledge about the rise and fall of their remarkable Greek city-state between the sixth and third centuries BC. Through his Lives of Sparta’s leaders and his recording of memorable Spartan Sayings, he depicts a people who lived frugally and mastered their emotions in all aspects of life, who disposed of unhealthy babies in a deep chasm, introduced a gruelling regimen of military training for boys, and treated their serfs brutally. Rich in anecdote and detail, Plutarch’s writing brings to life the personalities and achievements of Sparta with unparalleled flair and humanity.
Revised edition includes a new introduction , a new essay on Plutarch, notes, a glossary, updated further reading, and an index
Includes four maps and a list of the kings of Sparta to 222 BC
Synopsis
The latest installment in our fully revised edition of Plutarchs Lives of the great men of the ancient world, this volume focusing on early Rome
The biographies collected in this volume bring together Plutarchs Lives of those great men who established the city of Rome, and his Comparisons with their notable Greek counterparts. As well as providing an illuminating picture of the first century A.D., Plutarch depicts complex heroes who display the essential virtues of Greek civilizationcourage, patriotism, justice, intelligence, and reasonthat contributed to the rise of Rome.
About the Author
Plutarch (c. 45120 A.D.), the Greek philosopher, lived at the height of the Roman Empire and is author of one of the largest and most important collections of writings to have survived from Classical antiquity.
Ian Scott-Kilvert (19171989) was the director of English literature at the British Council and the translator for Penguin Classics of Plutarchs Rise and Fall of Athens and Makers of Rome.
Christopher Pelling is a professor of Greek at Christ Church, University of Oxford.
Jeffrey Tatum is a professor of classics at Victoria University of Wellington.