Plutarch's Theory of Great Men and their Character

A Summary of Plutarch's Theory of Great Men and their Character

Plutarch believed that the actual character of men changes history. His thesis is that all great men affect their time, not necessarily for good. It is important to remember that in this context, great does not mean virtuous or worthy; it just means powerful and effective. For instance, Stalin and Attila the Hun both impacted history, but not in a positive way.

Parallel Lives

Plutarch wrote the book Parallel Lives circa 100 A.D. Parallel Lives was written in the format of pairs of philosophical biographies. In each set, a Roman person was compared to a similar Greek person. Plutarch's reasoning in writing such a book was not to document history, but to depict and examine the character of the men. Since that time, Parallel Lives has been studied by many throughout the ages. By writing about the lives of great men, as well as studying the character of his subjects, Plutarch was supporting his own theory that the very character of men changes history.

Plutarch himself said:

"It is not histories I am writing, but lives; and in the most glorious deeds there is not always an indication of virtue or vice, indeed a small thing like a phrase or a jest often makes a greater revelation of a character than battles where thousands die."

Translated by E. L. Bowie