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
Fate leads him who follows it, and drags him who resist.
—Plutarch
Topics: Fate
Talkative people who wish to be loved are hated; when they desire to please, they bore; when they think they are admired, they are laughed at; they injure their friends, benefit their enemies, and ruin themselves.
—Plutarch
Topics: Talking
When the strong box contains no more both friends and flatterers shun the door.
—Plutarch
Topics: Money
Good birth is a fine thing, but the merit is our ancestors.
—Plutarch
Topics: Birth
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
Whenever anything is spoken against you that is not true, do not pass by or despise it because it is false; but forthwith examine yourself, and consider what you have said or done that may administer a just occasion of reproof.
—Plutarch
It is no flattery to give a friend a due character; for commendation is as much the duty of a friend as reprehension.
—Plutarch
Topics: Praise
It is no disgrace not to be able to do everything; but to undertake or pretend to do what you are not made for, is not only shameful, but extremely troublesome and vexatious.
—Plutarch
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
To find fault, is easy; to do better may be difficult.
—Plutarch
Topics: Blame, Faults, Difficulty
Not by lamentations and mournful chants ought we to celebrate the funeral of a good man, but by hymns, for in ceasing to be numbered with mortals he enters upon the heritage of a diviner life.
—Plutarch
Topics: Death, Dying
A sage thing is timely silence, and better than any speech
—Plutarch
Topics: One liners, Speech
Vos vestros servate, meos mihi linquite mores
You keep to your own ways, and leave mine to me
—Plutarch
Topics: Advice
Philosophy is the art of living.
—Plutarch
Topics: Philosophy
Euripides was wont to say that silence was an answer to a wise man; but we seem to have greater occasion for it in our dealing with fools and unreasonable persons; for men of breeding and sense will be satisfied with reason and fair words.
—Plutarch
Topics: Silence
The giving of riches and honors to a wicked man is like giving strong wine to him that hath a fever.
—Plutarch
Topics: Wine, Honor
As small letters hurt the sight, so do small matters him that is too much intent upon them: they vex and stir up anger, which begets an evil habit in him in reference to greater affairs.
—Plutarch
Topics: Misery
Where two discourse, if the anger of one rises, he is the wise man who lets the contest fall.
—Plutarch
Topics: Intelligence
The measure of a man is the way he bears up under misfortune.
—Plutarch
Topics: Achievement, Success & Failure
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
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
When transported by rage, it is best to observe its effects on those who deliver themselves up to the same passion.
—Plutarch
It is a hard matter, my fellow citizens, to argue with the belly, since it has no ears.
—Plutarch
Topics: Diet
Every condition of life, if attended with virtue, is undisturbed and delightful; but when vice is intermixed, it renders even things that appear sumptuous and magnificent, distasteful and uneasy to the possessor.
—Plutarch
Topics: Virtue
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
Distressed valor challenges great respect, even from an enemy.
—Plutarch
Topics: Valor, Bravery
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
Wickedness is a wonderfully diligent architect of misery, and shame, accompanied with terror, commotion, remorse, and endless perturbation.
—Plutarch
Topics: Wickedness
The first evil those who are prone to talk suffer, is that they hear nothing.
—Plutarch
Topics: Speaking, Speakers
The worship most acceptable to God comes from a thankful and cheerful heart.
—Plutarch
Topics: God, Thankfulness
Do not speak of your happiness to one less fortunate than yourself.
—Plutarch
Topics: Happiness
Silence at the proper season is wisdom, and better than any speech.
—Plutarch
Topics: Silence
Courage consists not in hazarding without fear, but being resolutely minded in a just cause.
—Plutarch
Topics: Courage, Bravery
Abstain from beans.
—Plutarch
Topics: Eating, Food
They named it Ovation from the Latin ovis
—Plutarch
Topics: Applause
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
Those who aim at great deeds must also suffer greatly.
—Plutarch
Topics: Acceptance, Realistic Expectations, Adversity
Medicine, to produce health, has to examine disease; and music, to create harmony, must investigate discord.
—Plutarch
Topics: Music, Medicine, Harmony
But for the sake of some little mouthful of flesh, we deprive a soul of the sun and light and of that proportion of life and time it had been born into the world to enjoy.
—Plutarch
Topics: Food
Lying is a most disgraceful vice; it first despises God, and then fears men.
—Plutarch
Topics: Lying
Wondering Whom to Read Next?
Epictetus Ancient Greek Philosopher
Plotinus Ancient Greek Philosopher, Mystic
Xenocrates Greek Philosopher, Scientist
Euripides Ancient Greek Dramatist
Homer Ancient Greek Poet
Heraclitus Ancient Greek Philosopher
Bias of Priene Greek Orator
Aristotle Ancient Greek Philosopher
Plato Ancient Greek Philosopher
Sophocles Ancient Greek Dramatist