Greek Lives: A Selection of Nine Greek Lives (Oxford World's Classics)

Rating:
Summary: Good reading
Review: Some of these bios are simply fascinating, especially the ones of Lycurgus, Alexander the Great and Themistocles. Plutarch tends to do character sketches, as opposed to lenghty reports of battles. For example, most of the military campaigns of Alexander the Great are simply glossed over. However, he does show the moral actions and personalities of his characters. He is also a very good writer and fun to read; not too dry at all. I would suggest this book for several reasons:
1) To decide if you would like to read more Plutarch. 2) You have mastered ancient history and are looking for character portrayals of these people. 3) You are looking for in introduction for study of the ancients.


Rating:
Summary: Easy and great fun to read!
Review: This fresh translation of Plutarch makes these wonderful timeless stories easy to enter. In a world of insipid shallow middle managers, multinational corporate slaves, and boring billionaire silicon valley geeks these stories are a wonderful relief! I was delighted to learn that Pericles was in love with a brilliant courtesan named Aspasia who influenced him as well as others, including Socrates and Cicero. If you are as weary of dispicable characters like the selfish-seinfield types as I am, read this book and imagine a less limited world. The ancient world may have been more brutal, but it wasn't boring! Susan Ferguson