Plutarch Lives, VIII, Sertorius and Eumenes. Phocion and Cato the Younger (Loeb Classical Library®)

Plutarch(Plutarchus),ca.45–120CE,wasbornatChaeroneainBoeotiaincentralGreece,studiedphilosophyatAthens,and,aftercomingtoRomeasateacherinphilosophy,wasgivenconsularrankbytheemperorTrajanandaprocuratorshipinGreecebyHadrian.Hewasmarriedandthefatherofonedaughterandfoursons.Heappearsasamanofkindlycharacterandindependentthought,studiousandlearned.Plutarchwroteonmanysubjects.Mostpopularhavealwaysbeenthe46ParallelLives,biographiesplannedtobeethicalexamplesinpairs(ineachpair,oneGreekfigureandonesimilarRoman),thoughthelastfourlivesaresingle.AllareinvaluablesourcesofourknowledgeofthelivesandcharactersofGreekandRomanstatesmen,soldiersandorators.Plutarch’smanyothervariedextantworks,about60innumber,areknownasMoraliaorMoralEssays.Theyareofhighliteraryvalue,besidesbeingofgreatusetopeopleinterestedinphilosophy,ethicsandreligion.