Plutarch's Lives, Vol. 1

In his Lives, Plutarch surveys many important figures from the past whose distinctive individual natures or characters somehow influenced history. Plutarch is constantly reminding his readers that he is writing biography, not history: His goal is not to describe historical events, but rather to illustrate how individual figures have shaped history.

This approach means that Plutarch does not always prioritize strict chronology or factuality, as sometimes he chooses to tell a story that may not be historical but can effectively shed light upon an individual’s character. Thus, Plutarch describes the legend of Solon’s meeting with Croesus even though such a meeting is historically improbable, writing that,

I cannot reject so famous and well-attested a narrative, and, what is more, so agreeable to Solon’s temper, and so worthy his wisdom and greatness of mind, because, forsooth, it does not agree with some chronological canons, which thousands have endeavoured to regulate, and yet, to this day, could never bring their differing opinions to any agreement (124, emphasis added).

Individual figures can influence history in positive as well as negative ways. Among the figures who influence history in a positive way are Plutarch’s lawgivers, including Lysander, Numa Pompilius, and Solon.