Plutarch's "Parallel Lives of the Noble Greeks and Romans Vol. 3" provides an insightful look into the lives of notable figures from ancient Greece and Rome. Through his detailed biographies, Plutarch explores the virtues and flaws of his subjects, offering readers a nuanced understanding of their characters and motivations.

One of the strengths of the book is Plutarch's ability to draw connections between the lives of Greek and Roman figures, highlighting the parallels between their experiences and the broader themes of power, ambition, and virtue. His analysis is not only informative but also thought-provoking, prompting readers to reflect on the complexities of human nature and leadership.

Furthermore, Plutarch's writing style is engaging and accessible, making the historical narratives come alive on the page. His vivid descriptions and lively anecdotes captivate the reader, making even the most obscure figures from history feel relevant and relatable.

Overall, "Parallel Lives of the Noble Greeks and Romans Vol. 3" is a valuable addition to any history buff's collection. Plutarch's keen insights and engaging storytelling make this book a compelling read for anyone interested in the lives and legacies of the great leaders of antiquity.

Book Description:
Parallel Lives of the Noble Greeks and Romans is a series of biographies of famous men, arranged in tandem to illuminate their common moral virtues or failings. The surviving lives contain twenty-three pairs of biographies, each pair consisting of one Greek and one Roman, as well as four unpaired, single lives.

Plutarch was not concerned with writing histories, as such, but in exploring the influence of character, good or bad, on the lives and destinies of famous men. The first pair of lives the Epaminondas-Scipio Africanus no longer exists, and many of the remaining lives are truncated, contain obvious lacunae and/or have been tampered with by later writers.

His Life of Alexander is one of the five surviving secondary or tertiary sources about Alexander the Great and it includes anecdotes and descriptions of incidents that appear in no other source. Likewise, his portrait of Numa Pompilius, an early Roman king, also contains unique information about the early Roman calendar.

In this copy-right expired 11-volume translation from the Loeb Classical library, the order of the paired lives is rearranged to present the Greek lives in chronological order. Vol 3 presents the paired lives of Pericles and Fabius Maximus and Nicias and Crassus.