Rome in Crisis

Tiberius Gracchus / Gaius Gracchus / Sertorius / Lucullus / Younger Cato / Brutus / Antony / Galba / Otho

'Now it was no dishonour to die a Roman, conquered only by a Roman'

A philosopher and moral essayist, Plutarch (c. 46-120 AD) was also an acclaimed biographer. Bringing together nine biographies from his Parallel Lives series and the Lives of the Roman Emperors, this edition examines the lives of major figures in Roman history, from Lucullus (118-57 BC), an aristocratic politician, bon-viveur and conqueror of Eastern kingdoms, to Otho (32-69 AD), a reckless young noble who consorted with the tyrannical, debauched emperor Nero before briefly becoming a dignified and gracious emperor himself. These biographies provide a wonderfully compelling picture of the Ancient world.

Ian Scott-Kilvert's and Christopher Pelling's translations are accompanied by a new introduction considering Plutarch's position as a Greek intellectual under the Roman Empire and the sources he would have had access to. This edition includes, for the first time, Plutarch's epilogues comparing Romans with figures from the Greek world, and also contains a separate introduction for each biography, suggested further reading, notes and maps.

Translated by IAN SCOTT-KILVERT and CHRISTOPHER PELLING
With notes and introductions by CHRISTOPHER PELLING

About the Author

PLUTARCH (c. 50 - c. 120 AD) was a Greek writer and thinker. He received the best possible education in rhetoric and philosophy, and travelled to Asia Minor and Egypt. Later, a series of visits to Rome and Italy contributed to his fame, and it was said that he had received official recognition by the emperors Trajan and Hadrian. His voluminous surviving writings are broadly divided into the 'moral' works and the Lives of outstanding Greek and Roman leaders.