The renowned Athenian legislator and poet who reformed his city through his work, and the Roman politician who served his people with integrity in both peace and war.

The biographer and philosopher Plutarch (c. 50-120 AD) was born in Chaeronea, Boeotia. Through his travels, he expanded his intellectual horizons and came into contact with prominent figures of his time, mainly distinguished Romans. He spent most of his life in his homeland and held public priestly offices.

His surviving work is distinguished into historical-biographical parts and the so-called 'Ethical' writings. In the 'Parallel Lives', notable Greeks and Romans are compared, indirectly contrasting the worlds each represents. In the 'Ethical' texts, issues of ethics, philosophy, science, politics, literary criticism, as well as topics from the realms of religion, nature, history, etc., are developed, sometimes in the form of dialogues and other times as treatises or dissertations.

Multilingual and with a refined spirit, the author expressed traditional Greek values with simplicity and an optimistic outlook. His work delights and teaches, while being a significant source of literature from the classical and Alexandrian periods.