Arthur Hugh Clough 
Plutarch’s Lives Volume Two (Barnes & Noble Library of Essential Reading) 

Plutarch defined for all ages the character of Greek and Roman moral identity. He studied what constitutes the best in a human being, and which, in turn, determines a person’s role in the world. Blending history and biography, Plutarch evokes the characters of great leaders in history. He systematically pairs a Greek with a Roman, comparing characters and lives with similar careers so as to serve his particular goal of moral instruction. In vivid prose, he describes the awesome spectacle of the actions of men of enormous desires and ambitions responding to impossible situations.

About the author

Plutarch most likely was born in the 40s CE to a wealthy leading family. He studied in Athens and traveled widely through Greece and the empire, from Alexandria to Rome, but remained a lifelong resident of Chaeronea in Central Greece. He held several municipal and regional offices.