The Rise and Fall of Athens
€0,00
Written in the late first and early second centuries AD, Plutarch’s The Rise and Fall of Athens traces the fortunes of the ancient city through the lives of nine figures, from the legendary founder Theseus to the Spartan victor Lysander. Along the way, statesmen, generals and political rivals emerge from the triumphs and disasters that shaped Athenian history, including the Persian Wars, the city’s imperial ascendancy and its eventual defeat in the Peloponnesian War.
Rather than presenting history as a succession of battles and victories, Plutarch examines the character, ambitions and moral choices of those who wield power, asking how individual virtues and failings can determine the fate of an entire society. His vivid portraits helped establish biography as a form of moral and political inquiry, influencing historians, philosophers and writers for centuries. Both a compelling account of classical Athens and a timeless reflection on leadership, civic life and the fragility of political greatness, this collection offers an intimate perspective on the forces behind the rise and decline of a civilisation.
From the book
“We should build up, from what is good, the most complete likeness in the form of a truthful record.”
— Plutarch, The Rise and Fall of Athens
On The Rise and Fall of Athens
“Plutarch’s focus is always on the individual.”
— John Marincola, introduction to The Rise and Fall of Athens