A Reading Guide for Plutarch's Lives
Many listeners of the Cost of Glory tell me that I have inspired them to read some or all of Plutarch’s lives. Naturally, many ask for my recommendations on editions to get, and how to make it through the collection.
Unlocking Wisdom Through Comparative Reading
Plutarch crafted his biographies in pairs, allowing readers to draw insightful comparisons. This strategy enhances understanding of both Greek and Roman virtues.
Unlocking Knowledge with the Chunking Method
The Chunking Method breaks down complex information into manageable segments. This approach enhances retention and comprehension, making it easier to absorb Plutarch's insights.
Strategy One
This is how Plutarch intended his readers to read the Lives. He wrote them in pairs, so that his readers could compare a great Greek and a great Roman. Plutarch skipped around chronologically in composing the Lives, so you can too.
Strategy Two
This is the strategy I would recommend to people approaching the classical world for the first time: reading by rough chronological groups, or chunks.
Take these groups as stand alone. I recommend focusing on one group at a time, but you can skip around within the group. You could read the groups in chronological order, but don’t feel like you have to. Let yourself be guided by your interests.
Note the date ranges. You’ll find that all of Greek and Roman history up until 31 B.C. (the sole reign of Augustus) is covered.
The Chunks
- Theseus
- Lycurgus
- Solon
- Hesiod, Theogony, Works and Days
- Homer, Iliad, Odyssey
- Solon
- Themistocles
- Aristides
- Cimon
- Herodotus, Histories
- Pericles
- Nicias
- Alcibiades
- Lysande
- Thucydides, Peloponnesian War
- Sophocles, Tragedies
- Aristophanes, Comedies
- Xenophon, Hellenica
- Lysander
- Agesilaus
- Pelopidas
- Dion
- Timoleon
- Demosthenes
- Phocion
- *Artaxerxes (a mediocre King of Persia who lived in interesting times)
- Xenophon, Hellenica, Anabasis
- Plato, Republic
- Isocrates, Panegyricus
- Demosthenes, On the Crown
- Aristotle, Politics
- Pericles
- Nicias
- Alcibiades
- Lysande
- Thucydides, Peloponnesian War
- Sophocles, Tragedies
- Aristophanes, Comedies
- Xenophon, Hellenica
History Contains Power
My name is Alex Petkas, and in The Cost of Glory, I present you with the best stories, analyses and takeaways, from the greatest and most influential figures from Greco-Roman antiquity.