The Lives of the Noble Grecians and Romans, Volume I

Plutarch's 'Parallel Lives,' written in the early second century A.D., presents paired biographical accounts of notable Greeks and Romans. Each volume contains one Greek life and one Roman life, followed by a comparison between them. Examples include Theseus paired with Romulus, Alcibiades with Coriolanus, Demosthenes with Cicero, and Demetrius with Antony. Plutarch focused on the personalities and character traits of his subjects, examining how their individual qualities shaped their actions and determined their fates—whether leading to tragedy or success. He approached his work as a moralist, writing that he began composing biographies for others' benefit but found himself continuing for his own, using the virtues of these great men as a mirror to reflect upon and improve his own life. Drawing on extensive travels throughout the Roman Empire and considerable learning, Plutarch filled the Lives with anecdotes and detailed information. These works became a principal source for Shakespeare's Roman plays.