A brilliant Greek writer and philosopher, Plutarch wrote detailed biographies of 46 legendary Greek and Roman figures, four of whom are included in this important collection. He profiles one of his contemporaries, Marc Antony, who followed Caesar and seduced Cleopatra. The next installment features Cicero, an influential Roman orator, politician, statesman, and philosopher who brought Greek thought into his culture. The final 2 biographies focus on 2 of history's most famous mythical figures: Theseus, the Greek king who defeated the Minotaur, and Romulus, who was raised by a she-wolf and went on to found the Roman empire.

Plutarch's Lives remains an essential document of Greek and Roman history and mythology, preserving the stories of both cultures' greatest leaders for future generations.