Selected Essays of Plutarch, Vol. I.

"Selected Essays of Plutarch, Vol. I" by Plutarch, is a compilation of thought-provoking essays that dives into ethics, education, and how people should act in society. It provides a window into the values and morals of the time it was written. Plutarch, writing in the early second century AD, conveys his philosophies and beliefs in order to teach readers how to live a virtuous and moral life. The book begins with a preface and introduction that sets the scene for the essays. It establishes Plutarch's credibility and the historical setting of his writings. The translator, T. G. Tucker, emphasizes how important these essays area for understanding the civilization of the average person around the year 100 AD. Tucker suggests these essays were selected for their representative qualities and the wide variety of interesting topics they cover, and are not simply the easiest to obtain. Key themes such as education, civic duty, virtue, and how to understand social behavior are introduced and then broadened into a unique allegorical dinner party including the Seven Sages of Greece, mixing wisdom with social interactions.