Plutarch, a contemporary of Tacitus and Pliny, is best known for his Lives, which has often been translated and studied. Less well-known is his Moralia, a series of essays on various subjects including ethics, history, politics, preservation of health, and philosophy. It even includes the best and most thorough contemporary description of the Oracle at Delphi – Plutarch served as a high priest. This compilation of essays was historically valued. Montaigne observed that “Plutarch and Seneca were the only two books of solid learning he seriously settled himself to read” and quotes as often from the Moralia as he does form the Lives. Contained in these two volumes (Ethical Essays and Theosophical Essays) Plutarch’s Morals provide access to the thoughts of one of the most interesting and insightful writers from the ancient world.
