PLUTARCH

born AD 46, , Chaeronea, Boeotia died after 119 Greek Plutarchos, Latin Plutarchus biographer and author whose works strongly influenced the evolution of the essay, the biography, and historical writing in Europe from the 16th to the 19th century. Among his approximately 227 works, the most important are the Bioi paralleloi (Parallel Lives), in which he recounts the noble deeds and characters of Greek and Roman soldiers, legislators, orators, and statesmen, and the Moralia, or Ethica, a series of more than 60 essays on ethical, religious, physical, political, and literary topics. Additional reading R.H. Barrow, Plutarch and His Times (1967, reprinted 1979); and C.J. Gianakaris, Plutarch (1970), are good general introductions that list further reading. C.P. Jones, Plutarch and Rome (1971), begins with a useful biography and continues by tracing his career under various Roman emperors. D.A. Russell, Plutarch (1973), provides a literary evaluation.