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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Timeless Classic By One Of The Best Biographers In History, August 9, 2005
This review is from: Plutarch Lives, VII, Demosthenes and Cicero. Alexander and Caesar (Loeb Classical Library) (Hardcover)
Plutarch in his "Lives Of The Noble Grecians And Romans" written around 100 C.E., sheds new light on Greek and Roman history from their Bronze Age beginnings, shrouded in myth, down through Alexander and late Republican Rome. Plutarch is the lens that we use today to view the Greco-Roman past; his work has shaped our perceptions of that world for 2,000 years. Plutarch writes of the rise of Roman Empire while Gibbon uses his scholarship to advance the story to write about its decline. He was a proud Greek that was equally effected by Roman culture, a Delphic priest, a leading Platonist, a moralist, educator and philosopher with a deep commitment as a first rate writer. Being a Roman citizen, Plutarch was afforded the opportunity to become an intimate friend to prominent Roman citizens and a member of the literary elite in the court of Emperor Trajan.
Plutarch's influence and enormous popularity during and after the Renaissance is legendary among classicist. Plutarch's "Lives", served as the sourcebook for Shakespeare's Roman Plays "Julius Caesar", "Antony and Cleopatra" and "Coriolanus". By the way Plutarch is even the only contemporary source of all the biographical information on Cleopatra, whom he writes about in his biographies of Julius Caesar, Mark Antony and Octavian. Thomas Jefferson wrote to his nephew that there were three books every gentleman had to have familiarity with; Plutarch's "Lives", Livy's "History of Rome" and Virgil's Aeneid. In fact all the founding fathers of note had read Plutarch and learned much from his fifty biographies of noble men of Greece and Rome. When Hamilton, Jay and Madison write "The Federalist Papers" they use many examples of good and bad leadership traits that they read in Plutarch's work. His biographies are a great study in human character and what motivates leaders to decide and act the way they do, this masterpiece has proven to be still prescient today.
If you are truly interested in a classical education, put this book on the top of your list! I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in political philosophy, and history.
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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Action and Words, August 2, 2000
This review is from: Plutarch Lives, VII, Demosthenes and Cicero. Alexander and Caesar (Loeb Classical Library) (Hardcover)
Is the sword mightier than the pen? It certainly is in the short term going by the lives featured here. Alexander and Caesar were the greatest conquerors of the ancient world while Cicero and Demosthenes are considered to have been its greatest wordsmiths. This collection of four lives is further connected by the fact that the two orators opposed the two conquerors, raising important moral questions about freedom and democracy. Demosthenes, a great speaker who was cowardly by nature, saw Alexander and his father Philip as no better than barborous tyrants, while Cicero, who also lacked the military virtues, fought a verbal war to preserve the Roman Republic. Although being spared by their opponents, both Demosthenes and Cicero were finally hunted and killed by their successors. By today's standards we would condemn Alexander and Caesar as ruthless, bloodthirsty tyrants, however, judging these two great men outside their historical context is grossly unfair. Without Alexander, the Greeks would have continued to fight their petty wars and Hellenic culture would have remained confined to a small corner of the Mediterranean. As for Caesar's usurpation of power, it was vital for Rome's survival to separate government from politics as the constant electioneering, bribery, partisan strife, riots, plots, and military coups were causing anarchy at the heart of the Republic. Writing at a time when a strong Imperial system was safeguarding Hellenic culture and prosperity throughout the Mediterranean, it is not surprising that Plutarch saw Alexander and Caesar in such a positive light. Whatever message he may wish to convey, Plutarch's writing is full of delights, focusing on character traits, interesting quotes, great events, and always going off on those wonderful tangents about natural history, superstitions, or the customs of far away countries. These are four interesting biographies. But why buy 4 when there are volumes with 8 or 9, or even ALL the 'Lives' of Plutarch?
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
What would Caesar do? Or rather, what should Caesar have done?, June 18, 2006
This review is from: Plutarch Lives, VII, Demosthenes and Cicero. Alexander and Caesar (Loeb Classical Library) (Hardcover)
I am not a scholar of ancient history. I was led to this book after hearing a lecture by Bible scholar Luke Timothy Johnson. I was bowled over by the storylines and the clarity of writing. Although these are histories, they really are much more about what the title says, lives. Plutarch is writing about the moral decisions of well known figures and the very public decisions that they made in the face of historic events. Plutarch more than simply reporting the choices of these people comments and critics their actions. Demosthenes and Cicero's lives tended to drag a bit for me. However, they were necessary and interesting preludes to Alexander and Caesar, who's lives are better known to us but also physically changed the map of the world where Demosthenes and Cicero tried to change the compass of their nations. Great reading, even in summer.
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