Plutarch Facts & Worksheets

• At some point, Plutarch became a Roman citizen, likely with the help of a Roman noble named Lucius Mestrius Florus. This is why he took the Roman name Lucius Mestrius Plutarchus. As a Roman citizen, he had more rights and privileges and was able to interact easily with both Greek and Roman society.  
• In around 70 CE, Plutarch and Florus travelled to Rome, where he met several important Roman leaders, including Quintus Sosius Senecio, Titus Avidius Quietus and Arulenus Rusticus. These connections helped him learn more about Roman politics and history.  
• Even though he travelled and knew many powerful Romans, Plutarch spent most of his life in Chaeronea. He was involved in religious activities and became a priest at the temple of Apollo in Delphi. At that time, the temple was not as important as it had been in the past, and Plutarch worked to restore its significance. 
• He may have also participated in the Eleusinian Mysteries, a secret religious tradition in Greece. His efforts were appreciated, and a statue of him was made in Delphi in recognition of his contributions.  

Personal Life

• Plutarch was married to a woman named Timoxena, and they had at least four sons and one daughter. Sadly, two of their children passed away when they were very young. After the death of their two-year-old daughter, also named Timoxena, Plutarch wrote a comforting letter to his wife. In it, he gently advised her not to grieve too much and to accept the loss with wisdom. He also mentioned the passing of their young son, Chaeron.
• Two of his sons, Autoboulos and Plutarch, are mentioned in his writings. He even dedicated his work on Plato’s Timaeus to them, which suggests he took an active role in their learning. Another possible son, Soklaros, was likely named after Plutarch’s friend Soklaros of Tithora. While Plutarch does not mention him later in his writings, an inscription from the time of Emperor Trajan refers to a Lucius Mestrius Soclarus, who shared Plutarch’s Roman family name. This suggests that Soklaros may have lived to adulthood.
• Some believe Plutarch had another son named Lamprias, who may have put together the list of Plutarch’s works that survives today. However, modern scholars are not sure if this is true or if someone else made the list later.
• The exact year of Plutarch’s death is unknown. Some estimates suggest he passed away around the year 120 CE, while others believe it was closer to 125 CE.

Writings of Plutarch

• Plutarch was a well-known writer and thinker, famous for his biographies and essays. He wrote about history, ethics and human nature, hoping to teach and inspire people. His two most famous works are Parallel Lives and Moralia.

Parallel Lives

• Plutarch’s Parallel Lives is a group of biographies that match one Greek and one Roman leader to compare their personalities, successes and morals. He did not want to just tell history but to show the strengths and weaknesses of great leaders and how their decisions affected their lives and communities. 
• There are 23 surviving pairs in Parallel Lives, as well as four single biographies that do not have a surviving counterpart. Some of the pairs are well-known because they compare legendary figures from Greek and Roman history. Below are some of the most notable pairings:  

Alexander the Great and Julius Caesar

• This is perhaps the most famous pair, comparing Alexander the Great, the Macedonian conqueror, with Julius Caesar, the Roman general and dictator. Both were ambitious military leaders who expanded their empires, changed history and met untimely deaths. Plutarch examined their drive for glory, leadership styles and personal flaws.

Theseus and Romulus

• Plutarch compared Theseus, the legendary founder of Athens, with Romulus, the mythical founder of Rome. Both were heroic figures known for strength and leadership, but also for controversial actions, such as abducting women to strengthen their cities.

Pericles and Fabius Maximus

• Pericles, a leader of Athens during its most successful period, is paired with Fabius Maximus, a Roman general known for his careful battle plans against Hannibal. Plutarch focused on their patience, smart decision-making, and how they helped their countries during tough times.

Demosthenes and Cicero

• This pair focused on two of the greatest orators in history – Demosthenes of Athens and Cicero of Rome. Both used their speeches to defend democracy and oppose tyranny, but both were eventually executed by political enemies.

Alcibiades and Coriolanus

• Alcibiades, an Athenian general, and Coriolanus, a Roman warrior, were both brilliant but unpredictable leaders. Their ambition and shifting loyalties led them to betray their home cities, and both met tragic ends. 

Moralia

• Plutarch’s Moralia is a collection of over 70 essays and dialogues on different topics like philosophy, ethics, politics, education, history and religion. While his Parallel Lives focuses on the lives of famous people, Moralia is more about human behaviour, wisdom and moral values. 

Main Ideas in Moralia:

• • The Chicken or the Egg QuestionIn his essay ‘The Symposiacs’, Plutarch talks about the famous question: Which came first, the chicken or the egg? This question had been discussed before by Aristotle, but Plutarch was the first to ask it in the way we know today. This shows his interest in deep and puzzling questions about life and nature.
  • Life After Death and ReincarnationIn ‘Consolation to His Wife’, a letter he wrote to comfort his wife after their young daughter died, Plutarch shared his belief in reincarnation. He compared the soul to a bird in a cage – when a person dies, the soul is freed. He said that souls who spend a long time in a body forget the spiritual world, while those that stay for only a short time return to a higher place more easily.
  • Religion and TraditionsPlutarch was very interested in Greek and Roman religion. His essay ‘Roman and Greek Questions’ explains the meanings of different traditions and rituals. In ‘Why Pythia Does Not Give Oracles in Verse’, he talks about why the Oracle of Delphi stopped giving prophecies in poetry. In another essay, ‘On the “E” at Delphi’, he tries to explain the meaning of a mysterious letter ‘E’ carved into the Temple of Apollo. 
  • The Power of the MindPlutarch believed that the mind is more important than the soul, and the soul is more important than the body. He agreed with Plato that reason and thinking help people choose between right and wrong. He also believed that the body brings pain and pleasure, but the mind helps people develop good or bad character. 
  • Stories About SpartaPlutarch wrote a lot about Spartan life, including their sayings, customs and history. Since Spartans did not write much about themselves, his works are some of the few sources we have about them. However, modern historians think that Plutarch may have exaggerated how disciplined and equal Spartan society was because he admired them. His writings made people believe that Spartans were super strong warriors who never showed pain, but this might not be completely true.
  • Advice on Daily Life and MoralityMany of Plutarch’s essays give practical advice, including:  
    • On Listening to Lectures – Tips for students on how to be good listeners and learners
    • On Moral Virtue – How to build good character and live an ethical life
    • On Peace of Mind – How to stay calm and happy
    • On the Delays of Divine Vengeance – Why justice sometimes takes time
  • Criticism of HerodotusIn ‘On the Malice of Herodotus’, Plutarch strongly criticises the historian Herodotus, accusing him of being unfair and biased against the Greek city-states. Some believe this essay was just a writing exercise, while others think Plutarch was very serious about his opinion. This makes it one of the earliest examples of a negative review of another historian’s work.