Agis and Cleomenes. Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus. Philopoemen and Flamininus

Lives

by Plutarch, Bernadotte Perrin (Translator)

Plutarch (Plutarchus), ca. 45–120 CE, was born at Chaeronea in Boeotia in central Greece, studied philosophy at Athens, and, after coming to Rome as a teacher in philosophy, was given consular rank by the emperor Trajan and a procuratorship in Greece by Hadrian. He was married and the father of one daughter and four sons. He appears as a man of kindly character and independent thought, studious and learned.

Plutarch wrote on many subjects. Most popular have always been the 46 Parallel Lives, biographies planned to be ethical examples in pairs (in each pair, one Greek figure and one similar Roman), though the last four lives are single. All are invaluable sources of our knowledge of the lives and characters of Greek and Roman statesmen, soldiers and orators. Plutarch’s many other varied extant works, about 60 in number, are known as Moralia or Moral Essays. They are of high literary value, besides being of great use to people interested in philosophy, ethics, and religion.

The Loeb Classical Library edition of the Lives is in eleven volumes.

Genres: Nonfiction, History

416 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 100

About the author

Plutarch (later named, upon becoming a Roman citizen, Lucius Mestrius Plutarchus; AD 46–AD 120) was a Greek historian, biographer, and essayist, known primarily for his Parallel Lives and Moralia. He is classified as a Middle Platonist. Plutarch's surviving works were written in Greek, but intended for both Greek and Roman readers.

Reviews

[John Cairns · Rating 5 out of 5]

One king expelled the ephors and at once began plotting against the life of the other king. A friend had been the king's lover or inspirer as it was called. One a dead king had 'inspired' slew himself over the body. With five thousand that king had outfaced twenty thousand Achaeans. Who murdered a king restored his brother and put him to death. Plutarch derides Spartan worship of death, laughter and such as that sort of thing though they do seem devoted to it.

Tiberius Gracchus illegally ejected another tribune of the people from his place. Nasica, a large illegal holder of public land, resented having to give it up and hated Tiberius for making him. This did not end well. Tiberius’ brother Gaius (spelt Caius) ‘had a very loud voice and was most vigorous’ with it. He stopped senators being the only judges and addressed the people rather than the senate. The suspicious death of Scipio Africanus was not investigated because the people thought Gaius might be implicated though it was six years before Gaius was tribune, making Plutarch’s contention suspect. A servant of the consul bared his arm and made an insulting gesture and was killed on the spot with large writing styles made for just such a purpose.

Philopoemen ‘was buried as was fitting with conspicuous honours and the captive Messenians stoned to death.’ Titus Flamininus ‘was not a Greek and waged war on behalf of Greeks’ by defeating Macedon and subjecting them instead to Rome.

[Alexander Rolfe · Rating 5 out of 5]

This volume starts sad and ends happy. Agis and Cleomenes failed in their efforts to make Sparta great again. Philopoemen is a faint echo of Alcibiades, with almost as much panache and almost as many character flaws. Flamininus brought freedom to all of Greece, and with very little bloodshed because, as Plutarch points out, he was such a nice guy. History is generally bloody and terrible, so his campaign in Greece stands out as a bright spot. His reputation suffered later, though, because he feuded with Cato even though Cato was in the right, and he hounded Hannibal to death. People thought that vindictive and unnecessary, but Plutarch says the Senate may have ordered him to.

[Kevin Vrieze · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is actually titled: Plutarch, Lives, X (or Plutarch's Lives, Vol 10). The listing reference, while not incorrect, is certainly misleading.
That said, it is one of the better, if more obscure, volumes in the series. The Agis/Cleomenes biographies are intended to discuss leading figures of the time who did the right things in the wrong circumstances and suffered for it. The Tiberius-Gaius section is on two brothers who take a different approach to leading. In a military age the effect of the politics and personality is quite striking for modern times. The Philopoemen-Flamininus section focuses on the significance of these two people's actions in both military and political worlds. The Flamininus was, on this reading, the most striking. It clearly shows a Roman who does more for the freedom of Greece than any Greek leader. The effect this has on the conception of the influence of the Empire on this area of the world is a notable variant on the mainstream focus on the Roman Empire as purely military in other countries and corrupt and decadent in the city itself. Hardly the case as this life demonstrates.

While the figures in this book could be seen as a sort of "B" Team, I found it a much more engaging set of biographies that many of those in previous volumes. Classic biographies as only Plutarch could write, this one has made it worth working through the previous 9 and encourages me to continue to Volume 10.

Plutarch, as usual, adds his analysis and moral conclusions. These are as valuable as the biographies themselves. Worth it for the logic and the literary value they present.

A great part of one of the most important collections of historical biography and literary history. Not light reading, but well worth the effort.