Roman Lives

Though he was Greek, Plutarch wrote Parallel Lives in the first century, a world dominated by the Roman Empire. Plutarch’s collection of biographies was the first of its kind and easily as groundbreaking in conception as Herodotus’ Histories. Plutarch looked at the great men of the ancient world and told their stories, in many cases drawing on sources no longer available to us. They offer a unique insight into the characters as well as the achievements of men who influenced their age and the empires that their culture dominated. Here he considers some of the major figures that had left their stamp on the history of Rome, including generals, rulers, philosophers, and politicians. Roman Lives is the companion volume to Greek Lives, also read with style by Nicholas Farrell.