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| Marius |
A review of "Greek and Roman Lives (Dover Thrift Editions)" by Plutarch.
This is an interesting collection of some of
Plutarch's "Lives", short biographies of ancient Greek and Roman
statesmen and generals. This volume contains the lives of Solon, Themistocles,
Pericles, Alcibiades, Alexander the Great, Marius, Sulla, Pompey, Julius Caesar
and Cicero.
All are equally interesting, but personally I was most fascinated by the Life of Marius. This Roman general and politician is often depicted as a budding little tyrant who destroyed the Roman republic long before Caesar. To me, he comes across as a strong plebeian leader who strengthened the lower classes of the Roman republic. For tactical reasons, he freed substantial amounts of slaves during his later military campaigns to regain power in Rome. Plutarch even claims that Marius came from a lowly background and that his father was a labourer. Marius' constant and bloody battles with "barbarians" and various Italian city-states are less uplifting, but would sure make for a good Hollywood epic! The biography of Marius' main protagonist, the wily and decadent aristocrat Sulla Felix, is also interesting.
Other high points of this volume are the biographies of two Athenians, the moderate reformer and law giver Solon and the opportunist general Alcibiades. The latter was briefly associated with none other than Socrates.
The main problem with Plutarch is, of course, that you never really know whether he is telling the truth or repeating tall tales. After all, Plutarch lived long after the events he described. Those interested in ancient history would do best to double check all of Plutarch's claims with modern scholarly studies. A problem with this particular edition is the old fashioned translation (from 1864), which may put off some readers. More modern editions of Plutarch exist.
No matter the edition, Plutarchos is indispensable reading for anyone interested in the history of ancient Greece and Rome...
All are equally interesting, but personally I was most fascinated by the Life of Marius. This Roman general and politician is often depicted as a budding little tyrant who destroyed the Roman republic long before Caesar. To me, he comes across as a strong plebeian leader who strengthened the lower classes of the Roman republic. For tactical reasons, he freed substantial amounts of slaves during his later military campaigns to regain power in Rome. Plutarch even claims that Marius came from a lowly background and that his father was a labourer. Marius' constant and bloody battles with "barbarians" and various Italian city-states are less uplifting, but would sure make for a good Hollywood epic! The biography of Marius' main protagonist, the wily and decadent aristocrat Sulla Felix, is also interesting.
Other high points of this volume are the biographies of two Athenians, the moderate reformer and law giver Solon and the opportunist general Alcibiades. The latter was briefly associated with none other than Socrates.
The main problem with Plutarch is, of course, that you never really know whether he is telling the truth or repeating tall tales. After all, Plutarch lived long after the events he described. Those interested in ancient history would do best to double check all of Plutarch's claims with modern scholarly studies. A problem with this particular edition is the old fashioned translation (from 1864), which may put off some readers. More modern editions of Plutarch exist.
No matter the edition, Plutarchos is indispensable reading for anyone interested in the history of ancient Greece and Rome...
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