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Lives of Noble Grecians and Romans, Vol 1
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800 pages, Hardcover
Published September 5, 1992
5 people are currently reading
123 people want to read
About the author
Plutarch
4,309 books938 followersPlutarch (later named, upon becoming a Roman citizen, Lucius Mestrius Plutarchus; AD 46–AD 120) was a Greek historian, biographer, and essayist, known primarily for his Parallel Lives and Moralia. He is classified as a Middle Platonist. Plutarch's surviving works were written in Greek, but intended for both Greek and Roman readers.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
January 26, 2009
It is a shame that such an interesting, and historically valuable work such as Plutarch's lives is so difficult for modern readers. Though many others have commented on how difficult this English is for us, consider the following quote taken at random, from the first two sentences of the life of the Roman Camillus:
Among the many remarkable things that are related of Furius Camillus, it seems singular and strange above all, that he, who continually was in the highest commands, and obtained the greatest successes, was five times chosen dictator, triumphed four times, and was styled a second founder of Rome, yet never was so much as once consul. The reason of which was the state and temper of the commonwealth at that time; for the people, being at dissension with the senate, refused to return consuls, but in their stead elected other magistrates, called military tribunes, who acted, indeed, with full consular power, but were thought to exercise a less obnoxious amount of authority, because it was divided among a larger number; for to have the management of affairs entrusted in the hands of six persons rather than two was some satisfaction to the opponents of oligarchy.
Ugh. And on it goes. The North translation is even worse, to my ear. The best translation that I've found is the Loeb Classical Library. However, they are spread across eleven volumes, making for a very expensive acquisition.
Among the many remarkable things that are related of Furius Camillus, it seems singular and strange above all, that he, who continually was in the highest commands, and obtained the greatest successes, was five times chosen dictator, triumphed four times, and was styled a second founder of Rome, yet never was so much as once consul. The reason of which was the state and temper of the commonwealth at that time; for the people, being at dissension with the senate, refused to return consuls, but in their stead elected other magistrates, called military tribunes, who acted, indeed, with full consular power, but were thought to exercise a less obnoxious amount of authority, because it was divided among a larger number; for to have the management of affairs entrusted in the hands of six persons rather than two was some satisfaction to the opponents of oligarchy.
Ugh. And on it goes. The North translation is even worse, to my ear. The best translation that I've found is the Loeb Classical Library. However, they are spread across eleven volumes, making for a very expensive acquisition.
Want to read
April 12, 2018In fact I read only two on Alexander and Cicero (in Lives 2) since I'm interested in their lives as described and analyzed by Plutarch. I found it a bit tough due to Dryden's style of translation, that is, his Victorian-style lengthy sentences.
In this Lives 1, I'm going to read on Pericles whose famous funeral speech at Athens as recorded in History of the Peloponnesian War by Thucydides has long impressed me.
In this Lives 1, I'm going to read on Pericles whose famous funeral speech at Athens as recorded in History of the Peloponnesian War by Thucydides has long impressed me.
June 21, 2017
Took nearly a month to read Volume 1 of Plutarch's Lives. I don't think I'll be getting around to Volume 2 any time soon (if at all).
I picked this book up from the library because I was doing research on Shakespeare/Fletcher's The Two Noble Kinsmen and I saw that the first of the "Lives" was on Theseus, a secondary character in 2NK. And, because I don't like to leave a book unfinished, I plowed through all of Volume 1 even though it didn't particularly interest me.
Like many ancient texts, this one dates itself. Supposedly all these biographies are of respected role models... but times have changed, and we wouldn't necessarily look up to all these people today. Of course, I'm also biased, since they were all soldiers, commanders, politicians, leaders, and the like... and those aren't the kinds of people whom I usually look up to.
There were a few occasional observations in the book that were real gems. Unfortunately, everything else just blurred together — to the point where I would set the book down for five minutes, pick it back up, and barely recognize the paragraph I just finished.
I picked this book up from the library because I was doing research on Shakespeare/Fletcher's The Two Noble Kinsmen and I saw that the first of the "Lives" was on Theseus, a secondary character in 2NK. And, because I don't like to leave a book unfinished, I plowed through all of Volume 1 even though it didn't particularly interest me.
Like many ancient texts, this one dates itself. Supposedly all these biographies are of respected role models... but times have changed, and we wouldn't necessarily look up to all these people today. Of course, I'm also biased, since they were all soldiers, commanders, politicians, leaders, and the like... and those aren't the kinds of people whom I usually look up to.
There were a few occasional observations in the book that were real gems. Unfortunately, everything else just blurred together — to the point where I would set the book down for five minutes, pick it back up, and barely recognize the paragraph I just finished.
April 9, 2008
Plutarch's Lives is completely awesome.
You don't really like thinking of Julius Caesar as such a perverted guy, but there you go. It's also very nice to see that Caligula and Nero were perverted, b/c they were so gross. Hmm, that doesn't make sense. O well, welcome to my nonsensical head. :)
You don't really like thinking of Julius Caesar as such a perverted guy, but there you go. It's also very nice to see that Caligula and Nero were perverted, b/c they were so gross. Hmm, that doesn't make sense. O well, welcome to my nonsensical head. :)
February 27, 2008
Not bad, for a translation.
June 12, 2008
Not much to say but have read 3x and mostly for papers, I know I will be reading it again
July 1, 2016
Re-read Theseus & Romulus for Poetics & Progym
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews