Plutarch was a philosopher and a writer who lived and worked in ancient Greece
** He was born ca. AD 46
** He died ca. AD 120
His Latin or Roman name was Lucius Mestrius Plutarchus.
For many years, he was a priest at the famous Temple of Apollo in Delphi. He wrote many books. Some are lost, but many have been preserved until our time.
His most famous work is a series known as the Parallel Lives. The life of a famous Greek person is compared with the life of a famous Roman person
** We have 23 pairs
** We have 46 Lives
In addition, four individual lives have been preserved until our time
Why did Plutarch write the series known as the Parallel Lives?
** What was his inspiration?
** What was his motivation?
Plutarch says that history is not the most important aspect when he is writing. For him, the biography is the most important aspect. He says he is not a historian; he is a biographer.
He wants to study the life of a famous person in order to find out how good or bad qualities influenced the life and career of the famous person.
He wants to find out how this person influenced the world and the time in which he lived.
He also wants to study the legacy of this person: how is he remembered after his death? Is he regarded as a role model or not?
In the series known as the Parallel Lives he works with pairs. A Greek person and a Roman person are paired.
This approach allows him to compare and contrast the two persons whose lives he has chosen to cover as a pair.
** Is Plutarch a reliable writer?
** Can we believe what he tells us?
** Are his portraits of these ancient persons true?
Many modern historians have studied his work in order to answer such questions. The consensus seems to be that Plutarch is fairly reliable.
He wants to compose an interesting account. He does not want to compose a boring account. For this reason, he tends to focus on what is remarkable and sensational.
Apparently, he does not invent any stories. He has a source for every detail in his work. He is as truthful as his sources. Obviously, his sources are not always truthful.
In antiquity, Plutarch had access to many sources which have since been lost. We cannot verify everything he tells us.
In some cases, Plutarch is the only source we have. In other cases, we can compare the version offered by Plutarch with a version offered by another ancient writer.
Both Plutarch and Suetonius wrote a biography of Gajus Julius Caesar. Both biographies have been preserved until our time. When we compare the two accounts, we can see that many details presented are the same.
When both writers offer the same detail, it is quite likely that this detail is true. Obviously, we cannot verify each and every detail presented by Plutarch and Suetonius.
Two modern historians will not always agree on what is fact and what is fiction in an ancient account.
When reading Plutarch or Suetonius or any other
ancient author, the modern reader must make up his or her own mind. We can ask questions:
** What seems to be true?
** What is possible or likely?
** What is doubtful?
** What is not very likely?
** What seems to be fiction?
As you can see, there are at least five different categories when you are trying to discover the level of historical truth in an ancient account.
REFERENCE
Plutarch and History:
Eighteen Studies
By Christopher Pelling
(2002 = hardcover)
(2011 = paperback)
□■□■
As the title says, this volume is divided into 18 chapters. I will list the headlines which are relevant for an investigation of historical truth:
Chapter 1
Plutarch's method of work
Chapter 4
Plutarch’s adaptation of his source material
Chapter 6
Truth and fiction in Plutarch’s Lives
Chapter 7
Making myth look like history (Theseus and Romulus)
Chapter 9
Plutarch and Roman politics
Chapter 14
Childhood and personality in Greek biography
Chapter 18
The shaping of Coriolanus: Dionysius, Plutarch, and Shakespeare
*****
Plutarch and History:
Eighteen Studies
By Christopher Pelling
(2002 = hardcover)
(2011 = paperback)
*****
Parallel Lives
by Plutarch
An English version
published in 2015
*****
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