Plutarch's most significant literary work is, by common consensus, the `Parallel Lives`, which are parallel biographies of pairs consisting of one Greek and one Roman politician or general, 48 in total, of which 46 have survived.

He also wrote the `Moralia`, which includes numerous essays on topics such as virtue, theology, religion, politics, and the role of philosophy in shaping character, particularly that of public men, whose choices and actions have always determined the lives of those in power.

However, it seems that with his `Moralia`, he did not feel he was achieving his objective of influencing the people of his time and guiding them toward a path of virtue, during a period when the Roman Empire was at its zenith and heading towards inevitable decline.

Thus, he turned to the biography of the great politicians and generals of the past to provide more tangible and human examples—models for emulation in their great moments or for avoidance of their unlawful activities.

Among his choices are Solon with Poplicola, Themistocles with Camillus, Aristides with Cato, Pericles with Fabius Maximus, Alcibiades with Mark, Pelopidas with Marcellus, Alexander with Caesar, Agisilaus with Pompey, Demetrius with Antony, and others.

In his `Parallel Lives`, Plutarch clearly states that he is not writing history nor is he focusing his interest on recording their most notable actions; rather, using real people and true situations, he examines their inner worlds and provides readers with the necessary historical material for understanding the characters of these famous men and their moral behaviors.

Thus, in a masterful way, Plutarch reflects on and marries his knowledge of the past with the need for moral uplift of nations and rulers, in an era marked by clear symptoms of decay.

[Excerpt from the publisher's or edition's presentation text]