The Plutarch Podcast Why Read Plutarch?
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Jul 27, 2020 Plutarch, an ancient biographer who compared Greek and Roman heroes, is the guest of this podcast. Topics explored include Plutarch's focus on virtue, the format of the show which covers one episode per life, the best English translations of Plutarch's works, and the organization of his lives.
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Hamilton Example Of Biography's Reach
- Tom Cox uses Ron Chernow's Alexander Hamilton to show how biography encapsulates an era and drives cultural impact.
- The Hamilton biography made its subject familiar enough to inspire Lin-Manuel Miranda's musical and renewed public interest.
Greatness Without Goodness
- Plutarch deliberately includes negative exemplars to show greatness can combine with moral failure.
- Lives like Alcibiades and Mark Antony warn that power and virtue can diverge sharply.
Virtue Can Produce Harmful Outcomes
- Plutarch highlights how virtuous traits can cause harm when applied without prudence.
- Examples like Cato and Pyrrhus show virtue or military success can still produce disastrous outcomes.