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

A critical study of a significant aspect or aspects of Plutarchsaims and achievements as a biographer -To what extent does Plutarchachieve his aims for the bonks 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 great political figures. Despite being anoutsider (a Greek), Plutarch accepted roman type downcast 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 purport. He viewed himself as an artist ormoraliser preferably than a historian, believing, It is not so muchhistory that we are penning 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 most important thing in life was to knowhow one should live an emphasis on moral take away was therefore passeddown to Plutarch. He is fascinated not only by great deeds and battlesbut, often a little matter, like a saying or a joke,2 which can bemore unveil in terms of character and virtue. Platos philosophywas about the search for infinite standards of truth and moralcertainty and almost all of his works are about ethics, or moralphilosophy.His aim was therefore to create a, revealing of virtue or vice,3intending to shape the life of each man4 in terms of moral notfinancial or political stature, and hopes the ref 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 Plutarch, Alexa nder, 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