Plutarch was a Greek author, philosopher, and biographer. He was born in Chaeronea in central Greece in the ‘40s CE and died a little after 120. During his life, Plutarch seems to have traveled widely, spending time in Athens, Egypt, and Italy, and lecturing for some years in Rome. Plutarch was a fervent believer in the importance of ancient religion and religious rituals, serving as a priest at Delphi for 30 years. He also had a lot of influential friends in the Roman Empire, which controlled Greece during his lifetime and was even connected with the emperors Trajan and Hadrian.

Plutarch was an extremely prolific writer. One catalogue of his works lists 227 items. What survives of his works today are 78 miscellaneous titles (found in the collection known as Moralia) and some 50 biographies, or Lives. Plutarch’s works explore a range of subjects, including philosophy, history, religion, and politics. It is probably for his Lives that Plutarch is now best remembered. Plutarch’s Lives explores the ways personal character influenced historical events, with Plutarch drawing moral lessons about the universality of human nature.