Plutarchs Aims and Achievements as a Biographer Essay -- English Lite

A critical study of a significant sight or aspects of Plutarchsaims and achievements as a biographer -To what extent does Plutarchachieve his aims for the lives of Marius and Caesar?We are able to establish Plutarchs aims in creating his biographiesby looking at his background and influences. Plutarch was born inGreece to a wealthy established family. He was well educated, studyingrhetoric in Athens, and then travelled to Rome where he establishedconnections with some historic political figures. Despite being anoutsider (a Greek), Plutarch accepted Roman aristocratic tradition aswell as the moralising of some key Roman figures. This is reflected inthe Lives which in effect provide moral guidelines, prescribing howone should live a virtuous life. He viewed himself as an artist ormoraliser rather than a historian, believing, It is non so muchhistory that we are writing but lives.1Plutarch was deeply into the platonic approach to ethics, andtherefore was also influenced by Socrates. Plato was a pupil ofSocrates who claimed that the more or less important thing in life was to knowhow one should live an emphasis on moral conduct was therefore passeddown to Plutarch. He is hypnotised not only by great deeds and battlesbut, often a little matter, like a saying or a joke,2 which can bemore revealing in terms of character and virtue. Platos philosophywas about the search for absolute standards of truth and moralcertainty and almost all of his kit and caboodle are about ethics, or moralphilosophy.His aim was therefore to create a, revelation of virtue or vice,3intending to shape the life of each man4 in terms of moral notfinancial or political stature, and hopes the reader gains... ...against him but achievedless (although still a few) of his aims in the Life of Caesar.---------------------------------------------------------------------1 Plutarch, Fall of the Roman Republic, Alexander, 1.1-3, Penguin2 Plutarch, Alexander, 1.1-3,3 Plutarch, Alexander, 1.1-3,4 Plut arch, Alexander, 1.1-3,5 Russell, p1056 Russell, Plutarch quote, p807 Plutarch, Alexander, 1.1-38 Plutarch, Marius 39 Plutarch, Marius 710 Plutarch, Marius 911 Plutarch, Marius 2,512 Plutarch, Marius 1013 Plutarch, Marius 4514 Plutarch, Marius 4615 Plutarch, Marius 716 Plutarch, Marius notes by Robin Seager17 Plutarch, Alexander, 1.1-318 Plutarch, Marius 619 Plutarch, Marius 4620 Plutarch, Caesar 121 Cicero22 Plutarch, Caesar 69