Plutarch was a Greek philosopher, biographer, and priest who lived during the 1st and 2nd centuries CE, a period when Greece was part of the Roman Empire. He was born into a prominent family in the town of Chaeronea and received an extensive education in Athens. Although he traveled to Rome and gained Roman citizenship, he spent most of his life in his hometown, where he was active in local politics and served as a priest at the Oracle of Delphi.
His vast body of work falls into two main categories. The most famous are the Parallel Lives, a series of paired biographies comparing notable Greek and Roman statesmen and military leaders. The second category is the Moralia, a large collection of essays and dialogues on topics ranging from ethics, religion, and philosophy to literature and customs. Together, these works represent one of the largest surviving literary corpora from the ancient world.
Plutarch’s historical importance is immense. According to modern scholars, his Parallel Lives became a model for biography and a crucial source for understanding the character and history of major ancient figures, influencing European thought from the Renaissance onward. The Moralia provides a detailed window into the intellectual and ethical concerns of his era. As a Platonist philosopher, he is also seen as an important figure in the development of later Platonic tradition, blending philosophical inquiry with practical moral guidance.
Available Works
Αἰμίλιος Παῦλος
Aemilius Paulus
225 passages
Ἀγησίλαος
Agesilaus
171 passages
Ἄγις καὶ Κλεομένης
Agis and Cleomenes
290 passages
Ἀλκιβιάδης
Alcibiades
2 passages
Ἀλέξανδρος
Alexander
466 passages
Ἐρωτικός
Amatory
7 passages
Ἐρωτικαὶ διγηήσεις
Amatory Narratives
26 passages
Ἀντώνιος
Antony
476 passages
Ἀποφθέγματα βασιλέων καὶ στρατηγῶν
Apophthegms of Kings and Generals
215 passages
Ἄρατος
Aratus
233 passages
Ἀριστείδης
Aristides
144 passages
Ἀρταξέρξης
Artaxerxes
177 passages
Συμποσιακῶν προβλημάτων βιβλία
Books of Symposiastic Problems
775 passages
Βροῦτος
Brutus
285 passages
Καῖσαρ
Caesar
341 passages
Γάϊος Μάριος
Caius Marius
297 passages
Κάμιλλος
Camillus
204 passages
Κάτων ὁ Νεώτερος
Cato the Younger
365 passages
Κικέρων
Cicero
246 passages
Κίμων
Cimon
98 passages
Συναγωγὴ ἱστοριῶν παραλλήλων Ἑλληνικῶν καὶ
Collection of Parallel Greek and Roman Histories
68 passages
Ἀγησιλάου καὶ Πομπηΐου σύγκρισις
Comparison of Agesilaus and Pompey
16 passages
Σύγκρισις Ἄγιδος καὶ Κλεομένους καὶ Γράκχων
Comparison of Agis and Cleomenes and the Gracchi
19 passages
Ἀλκιβιάδου καὶ Κοριολὰνου σύγκρισις
Comparison of Alcibiades and Coriolanus
25 passages
Ἀριστείδου καὶ Κάτωνος σύγκρισις
Comparison of Aristeides and Cato
20 passages
Κίμωνος καὶ Λουκούλλος σύγκρισις
Comparison of Cimon and Lucullus
16 passages
Σύγκρισις Δημητρίου καὶ Ἀντωνίου
Comparison of Demetrius and Antony
19 passages
Σύγκρισις Δημοσθένους καὶ Κικέρωνος
Comparison of Demosthenes and Cicero
13 passages
Σύγκρισις Δίωνος καὶ Βρούτου
Comparison of Dion and Brutus
23 passages
Λυκούργου καὶ Νομᾶ σύγκρισις
Comparison of Lycurgus and Numa
20 passages
Σύγκρισις Λυσάνδρου καὶ Σύλλα
Comparison of Lysander and Sulla
18 passages
Νικίου καὶ Κράσσου σύγκρισις
Comparison of Nicias and Crassus
21 passages
Πελοπίδου καὶ Μαρκέλλου σύγκρισις
Comparison of Pelopidas and Marcellus
15 passages
Περικλέους καὶ Φαβίου σύγκρισις
Comparison of Pericles and Fabius
12 passages
Σύγκρισις Φιλοποίμενος καὶ Τίτου
Comparison of Philopoemen and Titus
15 passages
Σύγκρισις Σερτωρίου καὶ Εὐμένους
Comparison of Sertorius and Eumenes
12 passages
Σόλωνος καὶ Ποπλικόλα σύγκρισις
Comparison of Solon and Poplicola
18 passages
Θησέως καὶ Ῥωμύλου σύγκρισις
Comparison of Theseus and Romulus
21 passages
Σύγκρισις Τιμολέοντος καὶ Αἰμιλίου
Comparison of Timoleon and Aemilius
17 passages
Πραμυθητικὸς πρὸς Ἀπολλώνιον
Consolation to Apollonius
117 passages
Παραμυθητικός εἰς τὴν γυναῖκα τὴν αὑτου
Consolation to His Wife
25 passages
Κράσσος
Crassus
3 passages
Δημήτριος
Demetrius
280 passages
Δημοσθένης
Demosthenes
2 passages
Δίων
Dion
271 passages
Συγκρίσεως Ἀριστοφάνους καὶ Μενάνδρου ἐπιτομή
Epitome of Comparison of Aristophanes and Menander
10 passages
Εὐμένης
Eumenes
122 passages
Φάβιος Μάξιμος
Fabius Maximus
134 passages
Ἀποσπάσματα περὶ Ἐπαμεινώνδου καὶ Σκιπίωνος
Fragments on Epaminondas and Scipio
251 passages
Γάϊος Μάρκιος
Gaius Marcius
211 passages
Γάλβας
Galba
102 passages
Πῶς δεῖ τὸν νέον ποιημάτων ἀκούειν.
How a Young Man Should Listen to Poems
124 passages
Πῶς ἄν τις ἀπ ἐχθρῶν ὠφελοῖτο
How One Might Benefit from Enemies
40 passages
Πῶς ἄν τις διακρίνειε τὸν κόλακα τοῦ φίλοῦ
How One Might Distinguish the Flatterer from the Friend
150 passages
Πῶς ἄν τις αἴσθοιτο ἑαυτοῦ προκόπτοντος ἐπʼ ἀρετή
How One Might Perceive His Progress in Virtue
60 passages
Ὑγιεινὰ παραγγέλματα
Hygienic Instructions
93 passages
Λακαινῶν ἀποφθάγματα
Laconian Sayings
205 passages
Περὶ τῶν δέκα ἡτόρων
Lives of Ten Orators
108 passages
Λούκουλλος
Lucullus
238 passages
Λυκοῦργος
Lycurgus
136 passages
Λύσανδρος
Lysander
128 passages
Μάρκελλος
Marcellus
185 passages
Μάρκος Κάτων
Marcus Cato
148 passages
Γαμικὰ παραγγέλματα
Marriage Precepts
47 passages
Αἴτια φυσικά
Natural Causes
50 passages
Νικίας
Nicias
10 passages
Νομᾶς
Nomad
112 passages
Περὶ τῆς εἰς τὰ ἔκγονα φιλοστοργίας
On Affection for Offspring
27 passages
Περὶ φιλαδελφίας
On Brotherly Love
81 passages
Περὶ τῶν κοινῶν ἐννοιῶν πρὸς τοὺς Στωικοὺς
On Common Notions to the Stoics
154 passages
Περὶ φθόνου καὶ μίσους
On Envy and Hatred
14 passages
Περὶ εἱμαρμένης
On Fate
41 passages
Περὶ σαρκοφαγίας λόγος α′
On Flesh-Eating Discourse A
19 passages
Περὶ σαρκοφαγίας λόγος β′
On Flesh-Eating Discourse B
15 passages
Περὶ φυγῆς
On Flight
51 passages
Περὶ τύχης
On Fortune
16 passages
Περὶ τοῦ ἀκούειν.
On Hearing
65 passages
Περὶ ἀδολεσχίας
On Idle Talk
76 passages
Περὶ ἀοπγησίας
On Inactivity
5 passages
Περὶ Ἴσιδος και Ὀσίριδος
On Isis and Osiris
189 passages
Περὶ φιλοπλουτίας
On Love of Wealth
28 passages
Περὶ ἡδονῆς καὶ λύπης
On Lust and Sorrow
10 passages
Περὶ πολυφιλίας
On Many Friendships
24 passages
Περὶ πολυπραγμοσύνης
On Meddlesomeness
2 passages
Περὶ μοναρχίας καὶ δημοκρατίας καὶ ὀλιγαρχίας
On Monarchy, Democracy, and Oligarchy
7 passages
Περὶ τῆς ἠθικῆς ἀρετῆς
On Moral Virtue
69 passages
Περὶ τοῦ μὴ δεῖν δανείζεσθαι
On Not Needing to Borrow
25 passages
Περὶ τοῦ ἑαυτὸν ἐπαινεῖν ἀνεπιφθόνως
On Praising Oneself Without Envy
53 passages
Περὶ δυσωπίας
On Shyness
46 passages
Περὶ Στωικῶν ἐνιγμάτων.
On Stoic Riddles
141 passages
Περὶ δεισιδαιμονίας
On Superstition
44 passages
Περὶ τοῦ ὅτι μάλιστα τοῖς ἡγεμόσι δεῖ τὸν
On That the Philosopher Should Converse Especially with Rulers
17 passages
Περὶ τῆς ἐν Τιμαίῳ ψυχογονίας
On the Creation of the Soul in the Timaeus
108 passages
Ἀποσπάσματα
On the Daedala at Plataea
2 passages
Περὶ τοῦ Σωκράτους δαιμονίου
On the Daimonion of Socrates
7 passages
Περὶ τῶν ἐκλελοιπότων
On the Departed
162 passages
Περὶ τοῦ Ε τοῦ ἐν Δελφοῖς
On the E at Delphi
57 passages
Περὶ παίδων ἀγωγῆς
On the Education of Children
79 passages
Περὶ τοῦ ἐμφαινομένου προσώπου τῷ κύκλῳ τῆς
On the Face in the Moon's Orb
150 passages
Περὶ τῆς Ῥωμαίων τύχης
On the Fortune of the Romans
53 passages
Περὶ τῆς Ἀλεξάνδρου τύχης ἢ ἀρετῆς λόγος Α,
On the Fortune or Virtue of Alexander, Discourse A. Discourse B
106 passages
Περὶ τῆς Ἡροδότου κακοηθείας
On the Malice of Herodotus
114 passages
Περὶ τοῦ πρώτως ψυχροῦ
On the Primarily Cold
56 passages
Περὶ τῶν Ἀλεξανδρέων παροιμιῶν
On the Proverbs of the Alexandrians
39 passages
Περὶ τοῦ μὴ χρᾶν ἔμμετρα νῦν τὴν Πυθίαν
On the Pythia Not Giving Oracles in Verse Now
9 passages
Περὶ τῶν ὑπὸ τοῦ θείου βραδέως τιμωρουμένων
On Those Punished Slowly by the Divine
108 passages
Περὶ εὐθυμίας
On Tranquility
2 passages
Περὶ τοῦ τὰ ἄλογα λόγῳ χρῆσθαι
On Using Reason with the Irrational
34 passages
Περὶ ἀρετῆς καὶ κακιάς
On Virtue and Vice
9 passages
Περὶ τοῦ πότερον ὕδωρ ἢ πῦρ χρησιμώτερον
On Whether Water or Fire Is More Useful
19 passages
Ὄθων
Otho
73 passages
Πελοπίδας
Pelopidas
199 passages
Περικλῆς
Pericles
177 passages
Φιλοποίμην
Philopoemen
123 passages
Φωκίων
Phocion
178 passages
Πλατωνικὰ ζητήματα
Platonic Questions
71 passages
Πολιτικὰ παραγγέλματα
Political Precepts
150 passages
Πομπήϊος
Pompeius
327 passages
Ποπλικόλας
Poplicola
125 passages
Παροιμίαι αἷς Ἀλεξανδρεῖς ἐχρῶντο
Proverbs Used by Alexandrians
87 passages
Πύρρος
Pyrrhus
268 passages
Αἴτια Ἑλληνικά
Roman and Greek Causes
210 passages
Ῥωμύλος
Romulus
174 passages
Ἐκλογὴ περὶ τῶν ἀδυνάτων
SelectiImpossibilities
21 passages
Σερτώριος
Sertorius
147 passages
Σόλων
Solon
169 passages
Σύλλας
Sulla
175 passages
Σύνοψις τοῦ ὅτι παραδοξότερα οἱ Στωικοὶ τῶν
Summary of Stoics Saying More Paradoxical Things Than Poets
9 passages
Ἐπιτομὴ τοῦ περὶ τῆς ἐν τῷ Τιμαίῳ ψυχογονίας
Summary of the Soul's Creation in the Timaeus
13 passages
Πων επτά σοφών συμπόσιον
Symposium of the Seven Sages
110 passages
Ὅτι οὐδ ἡδέως ζῆν ἔστι κατ Ἐπίκουρον
That It Is Not Possible to Live Pleasantly According to Epicurus
22 passages
Γυναικῶν ἀρεταί
The Virtues of Women
124 passages
Θεμιστοκλῆς
Themistocles
147 passages
Θησεύς
Theseus
149 passages
Τιβέριος καὶ Γάϊος Γράκχος
Tiberius and Caius Gracchus
197 passages
Τιμολέων
Timoleon
177 passages
Τίτος Φλαμινῖνος
Titus Flamininus
109 passages
Πρὸς ἡγεμόνα ἀπαίδευτον
To an Uneducated Governor
20 passages
Πρὸς Κωλώτην
To Colotes
116 passages
Εἰ πρεσβυτέρῳ πολιτευτέον
Whether An Elder Should Engage In Politics
73 passages
Πότερον Ἀθηναῖοι κατὰ πόλεμον ἢ κατὰ σοφίαν
Whether Athenians Are More Renowned for War or Wisdom
32 passages
Πότερα τῶν ζῴων φρονιμώτερα τὰ χερσαῖα ἢ τὰ ἔνυδρα
Whether Land or Water Animals Are Wiser
24 passages
Εἰ καλῶς εἴρηται τὸ λάθε βιώτας
Whether Live Unnoticed Is Well Said
14 passages
Εἰ ἡ τοῦ νοῦ δύναμις παθητικὸς βίος
Whether the Mind's Faculty is Passive Life
8 passages
Ποτερον τὰ τῆς ψυχῆς ἢ τὰ τοῦ σώματος πάθη χείρονα
Whether the Soul's or Body's Passions Are Worse
10 passages
Εἰ αὐτάρκης ἡ κακία πρὸς κακοδαιμονίαν
Whether Vice Suffices For Misfortune
12 passages
Εἰ διδακτὸν ἡ ἀρετή
Whether Virtue Is Teachable
6 passages
Sources
- Stanford Encyclopedia Entry (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy) Accessed: 2026-01-26
- IEP Entry (Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy) Accessed: 2026-01-26
- Britannica Entry (Encyclopædia Britannica) Accessed: 2026-01-26