The Rise of Rome - (Penguin Classics) by Plutarch (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

The biographies collected in this volume bring together Plutarch's Lives of those great men who established the city of Rome and consolidated its supremacy and his Comparisons with their notable Greek counterparts. Here he pairs Romulus mythical founder of Rome with Theseus who brought Athens to power and compares the admirable Numa and Lycurgus for bringing order to their communities while Titus Flamininus and Philopoemen are portrayed as champions of freedom. As well as providing an illuminating picture of the first century AD Plutarch depicts complex and nuanced heroes who display the essential virtues of Greek civilization - courage patriotism justice intelligence and reason - that contributed to the rise of Rome.

These new and revised translations by W. Jeffrey Tatum and Ian Scott-Kilvert capture Plutarch's elegant prose and narrative flair. This edition also includes a general introduction individual introductions to each of the Lives and Comparisons further reading and notes.

The Rise of Rome is the penultimate title in Penguin Classics' complete revised Plutarch in six volumes. Other titles include Rome In Crisis On Sparta Fall of the Roman Republic The Age of Alexander and The Rise and Fall of Athens.

Review Quotes

"Fabulous selection with excellent notes."
--David A. Graf, Professor of Religious Studies, University of Miami

About the Author

Plutarch (c. 45-120 A.D.), the Greek philosopher, lived at the height of the Roman Empire and is author of one of the largest and most important collections of writings to have survived from Classical antiquity.

Ian Scott-Kilvert (1917-1989) was the director of English literature at the British Council and the translator for Penguin Classics of Plutarch's Rise and Fall of Athens and Makers of Rome.

Christopher Pelling is a professor of Greek at Christ Church, University of Oxford.

Jeffrey Tatum is a professor of classics at Victoria University of Wellington.