Plutarch (c.46–c.120 CE,) later Lucius Mestrius Plutarchus, was a Greek historian, biographer, essayist, and moralist. One of the most influential writers ever, his works strongly influenced the evolution of the essay, the biography, and historical writing in Europe from the 16th to the 19th century.
Born in Chaeroneia in the Greek region of Boeotia, Plutarch spent most of his later life there. He studied philosophy in Athens and voyaged to Italy and Egypt, making a circle of distinguished friends. He possibly visited Rome, where he gave public lectures in philosophy.
Among Plutarch’s 227 works, the most important is the Bioi parallēloi (‘Parallel Lives,’) in which he recounts the noble deeds and characters of Greek and Roman soldiers, legislators, orators, and diplomats. Plutarch was very much concerned with men’s moral conduct and individual moral guidance in an age when men were losing their faith in religion and philosophy.
Plutarch also wrote the Moralia, or Ethica, a series of more than 83 treatises on diverse subjects such as vegetarianism, superstition, philosophy (Epicurean, Stoic, and Academic,) dietetics, divine justice, prophecy, demonology, conjugal relations, family life, mysticism, and numerous helpful precepts.
Plutarch occupies a unique place in literature as the foremost encyclopedist of antiquity. Sir Thomas North’s translation into English of Plutarch’s Parallel Lives was a primary source used by William Shakespeare for several of his Roman plays.
Ironically, Plutarch, who was the biographer of many others, had no biographer except for a scant remark in Suidas, a 10th-century Byzantine encyclopedia of the ancient Mediterranean world. Prominent modern biographies include Donald Russell’s Plutarch (1973,) C P Jones’s Plutarch and Rome (1971,) and Reginald Barrow’s Plutarch and His Times (1967.)
More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by Plutarch
To do an evil act is base. To do a good one without incurring danger, is common enough. But it is the part of a good man to do great and noble deeds though he risks everything in doing them.
—Plutarch
Topics: Integrity, Risk, Action
Someone praising a man for his foolhardy bravery, Cato, the elder, said, “There is a wide difference between true courage and a mere contempt of life.”
—Plutarch
Topics: Praise
A word or a nod from the good, has more weight than the eloquent speeches of others.
—Plutarch
Topics: Influence
A few vices are sufficient to darken many virtues.
—Plutarch
Topics: One liners, Vice
He made the city Athens, great as it was when he took it, the greatest and richest of all cities, and grew to be superior in power to kings and tyrants. Some of these actually appointed him guardian of their sons, but he did not make his estate a single drachma greater than it was when his father left it to him.
—Plutarch
It was a shrewd saying, whoever said it, “That the man who first brought ruin on the Roman people was he who pampered them by largesses and amusements.”
—Plutarch
Topics: Luxury
Lycurgus being asked why he, who in other respects appeared to be so zealous for the equal rights of men, did not make his government democratic rather than an oligarchy, replied, “Go you, and try a democracy in your own house.”
—Plutarch
Topics: Democracy
When Demosthenes was asked what were the three most important aspects of oratory, he answered, “Action, Action, Action.”
—Plutarch
Topics: Action
To make no mistakes is not in the power of man; but from their errors and mistakes the wise and good learn wisdom for the future.
—Plutarch
Topics: Failure, Mistakes, Adversity, Difficulties, Failures
When Anaxagoras was told of the death of his son, he only said, “I knew he was mortal.” So we in all casualties of life should say, “I knew my riches were uncertain, that my friend was but a man.” Such considerations would soon pacify us, because all our troubles proceed from their being unexpected.
—Plutarch
Topics: Trouble
A traveller at Sparta, standing long upon one leg, said to a Lacedaemonian, “I do not believe you can do as much.” “True,” said he, “but every goose can.
—Plutarch
Topics: Ability
The measure of a man is the way he bears up under misfortune.
—Plutarch
Topics: Success & Failure, Achievement
Abstain from beans.
—Plutarch
Topics: Eating, Food
Epaminondas, finding himself lifted up in the day of his public triumph, the next day went drooping and hanging down his head; and being asked what was the reason of his so great dejection, made answer: “Yesterday I felt myself transported with vainglory, therefore I chastise myself for it today.”
—Plutarch
Topics: Humility
We ought not to treat living creatures like shoes or household belongings, which when worn with use we throw away.
—Plutarch
Topics: Nature, Respectability, Respect
It is the admirer of himself, and not the admirer of virtue, that thinks himself superior to others.
—Plutarch
Topics: Conceit
Courage consists not in hazarding without fear, but being resolutely minded in a just cause.
—Plutarch
Topics: Bravery, Courage
I don’t need a friend who changes when I change and who nods when I nod; my shadow does that much better.
—Plutarch
Topics: Friendship
It is indeed desirable to be well-descended, but the glory belongs to our ancestors.
—Plutarch
Topics: Ancestors, Family, Ancestry
Where two discourse, if the anger of one rises, he is the wise man who lets the contest fall.
—Plutarch
Topics: Intelligence
All men whilst they are awake are in one common world: but each of them, when he is asleep, is in a world of his own.
—Plutarch
Topics: Sleep
It is an observation no less just than common, that there is no stronger test of a man’s real character than power and authority, exciting as they do every passion, and discovering every latent vice.
—Plutarch
Topics: Power
Good fortune will elevate even petty minds, and give them the appearance of a certain greatness and stateliness, as from their high place they look down upon the world; but the truly noble and resolved spirit raises itself, and becomes more conspicuous in times of disaster and ill fortune.
—Plutarch
Topics: Fortune
He that is fond of building will soon ruin himself without the help of enemies.
—Plutarch
The talkative listen to no one, for they are ever speaking.—And the first evil that attends those who know not how to be silent, is, that they hear nothing.
—Plutarch
Topics: Talking
Time is the soul of this world.
—Plutarch
Topics: Time Management
In human life there is constant change of fortune; and it is unreasonable to expect an exemption from the common fate. Life itself decays, and all things are daily changing.
—Plutarch
Topics: Change
The richest soil, if uncultivated, produces the rankest weeds.
—Plutarch
Topics: Mind
The greater part of mankind are more sensitive to contemptuous language, than to unjust acts; they can less easily bear insult than wrong.
—Plutarch
Let us carefully observe those good qualities wherein our enemies excel us; and endeavor to excel them, by avoiding what is faulty, and imitating what is excellent in them.
—Plutarch
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