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Plutarch: Greek Lives (abridged)

Read by Nicholas Farrell and Steve Hodson

Plutarch: Greek Lives (abridged)

Plutarch: Greek Lives (abridged)

Read by Nicholas Farrell and Steve Hodson

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About

Plutarch’s series of biographies was the first of its kind, as much ground breaking in conception as Herodotus was with his Histories. Plutarch looked at the great men of the Ancient World and told their stories, in many cases drawing on sources no longer available to us. They offer a unique insight into the characters as well as the achievements of men who influenced their age and the empires that their culture dominated. They are as accessible now as they were when they were first written. It is the companion volume to Roman Lives, also read with style by Nicholas Farrell on Naxos AudioBooks.

Contents and tracklist

Plutarch: Introduction
Work length7:53
Introduction
Track length3:42
Plutarch's desire to make his subject's 'habit of mind understood'
Track length4:11
Plutarch: Lycurgus (6th or 7th Century BC)
Work length49:46
Lycurgus (6th or 7th Century BC)
Track length3:15
Soon after, an overture was made to him by the queen,
Track length3:31
From Crete he sailed to Asia
Track length2:45
Amongst the many changes and alterations which Lycurgus made
Track length2:46
After the creation of the thirty senators
Track length2:56
So there was now no more means of purchasing foreign goods
Track length2:43
This last ordinance in particular exasperated the wealthier men.
Track length3:39
Lycurgus would never reduce his laws into writing
Track length3:23
These public processions of the maidens
Track length2:45
Lycurgus allowed a man who was advanced in years and had a young wife
Track length2:31
After they were twelve years old
Track length3:21
Their lovers and favourers, too, had a share in the young boy's honour or disgrace
Track length2:34
Nor was their instruction in music and verse
Track length2:32
To return to the Lacedaemonians
Track length2:20
The senate, as I said before, consisted of those who were Lycurgus's chief aiders
Track length4:27
When he perceived that his more important institutions had taken root in the minds of his countrymen
Track length4:18
Plutarch: Themistocles (527-460 BC)
Work length41:42
Themistocles (527-460 BC)
Track length3:18
It is said that Themistocles
Track length2:46
He went beyound all men in the passion for distinction
Track length2:16
Having taken upon himself the command of the Athenian forces
Track length3:09
Now, though Xerxes had already passed through Doris
Track length2:56
Eurybiades, by the reason of the greatness of Sparta
Track length2:45
Themistocles, knowing the generosity of Aristides
Track length3:11
After this eas-fight, Xerxes, enraged at his ill-fortune
Track length3:12
He was, indeed, by nature, a great lover of honour
Track length4:24
When Pausanias went about this treasonable design
Track length2:34
Thucydides says, that, passing over land to the Aegaean Sea
Track length2:34
When he was introduced to the king
Track length2:43
Themistocles replied, that a man's discourse was like to a rich Persian carpet,
Track length3:18
But when Egypt revolted, being assisted by the Athenians,
Track length2:36
Plutarch: Pericles (495-429 BC)
Work length44:23
Pericles (495-429 BC)
Track length3:14
For this man, Pericles entertained an extraordinary esteem
Track length3:19
He immediately entered
Track length2:40
Finding himself come sort of his competitor, Cimon
Track length2:58
Cimon, while he was admiral
Track length2:53
Pericles on the other hand
Track length2:51
Phidias had the oversight of all the works
Track length2:52
At length, coming to a final contest with Thucydides
Track length3:06
Of all his expeditions
Track length2:18
For, in the first place, the Euboeans revolted
Track length3:04
Pericles, however, was particularly charged with having proposed to the assembly
Track length3:52
After this was over, the Peloponnesian war beginning
Track length3:32
The people receiving and admitting these accusations and complaints
Track length3:21
In the first place, the pestilential disease
Track length4:23
Plutarch: Alcibiades (450-404 BC)
Work length1:05:24
Alcibiades (450-404 BC)
Track length3:18
Unawares to himself
Track length2:43
Whilst he was very young
Track length2:43
He had great advantages for entering public life
Track length2:57
Alcibiades was not less disturbed at the distinctions
Track length2:55
When they were met
Track length2:58
After this battle at Mantinea
Track length2:12
The truth is, his liberalities, his public shows
Track length3:05
Together with Alcibiades
Track length3:18
Alcibiades perceived the malice of this postponement
Track length3:18
The information against him was conceived in this form
Track length2:50
At Sparta, he was devoted to athletic exercises
Track length2:35
Thus Alcibiades, quitting the interests of the Spartans
Track length3:29
Alcibiades at once dispatched messengers to Samos
Track length2:33
The people in the city were terrified into submission
Track length3:52
But about thirty days after, Alcibiades escaped from his keeprs
Track length3:18
Alcibiades, as soon as he saw the torch lifted upin the air
Track length2:55
And now Alcibiades began to desire to see his native country again
Track length2:17
But notwithstanding the affairs of Alcibiades went so prosperously
Track length2:26
How far his own inclinations led him to usurp sovereign power
Track length3:21
As soon as Alcibiades heard of this
Track length3:03
Yet in this sad state of affairs
Track length3:18
Plutarch: Lysander (439-395 BC)
Work length33:18
Lysander (439-395 BC)
Track length3:34
Understanding that Cyrus, the king's son
Track length3:47
But to those who loved honest and noble behaviour
Track length3:05
But on the fifth day
Track length4:04
Lysander with his fleet passed to Asia
Track length2:53
Lysander, after this, sails out to Thrace
Track length2:30
This ambitious temper was indeed only burdensome to the highest personages
Track length2:27
And having hardly and with difficulty obtained leave
Track length1:59
When King Agis died
Track length1:53
Immediately, therefore, Lysander spurred him on to make an expedition into Asia
Track length2:08
Upon this he was sent ambassador to the Hellespont
Track length2:25
And being now grown violent in his temper
Track length2:33
Plutarch: Alexander (356-323 BC)
Work length1:57:49
Alexander (356-323 BC)
Track length2:40
The statues that gave the best representation of Alexander's person
Track length3:10
The care of his education, as it might be presumed
Track length2:51
After this, considering him to be of a temper easy to be led to his duty by reason
Track length3:28
But the disorders of his family
Track length3:39
When he came to Thebes
Track length3:09
Then he went to Delphi
Track length2:48
In the meantime Darius's captains having collected large roces
Track length3:26
This battle presently made a great change of affairs to Alexander's advantage
Track length2:37
Darius was by this time upon his march from Susa
Track length2:39
There was at this time in Darius's army a Macedonian refugee
Track length3:02
But as he was going to supper
Track length3:51
Alexander, that he might refresh his army
Track length3:46
This was a long and painful, and, in two respects, a dangerous journey
Track length3:13
Darius wrote him a letter
Track length3:41
But to return to Alexander
Track length3:18
His sword, which was the weapon he used most in fight
Track length3:52
From hence he marched through the province of Babylon
Track length3:56
What she said was received with such universal liking and murmurs of applause
Track length2:54
But when he perceived his favourites grow so luxurious
Track length3:01
He now, as we said, set forth to seek Darius
Track length3:42
And now with the flower of his army he marched into Hyrcania
Track length2:49
Apprehending the Macedonians would be weary of pursuing the war
Track length2:24
Noticing, also, that among his chief friends and favourites
Track length2:58
But he, for what reason is uncertain
Track length2:44
The king had a present of Grecian fruit brought him
Track length2:36
'We are sufficiently punished already'
Track length1:54
Upon this, at last, Alexander, snatching a spear from one of the soldiers
Track length2:42
Alexander now intent upon his expedition into India
Track length2:14
Nor did they judge amiss
Track length3:07
This discourse pleased Alexander
Track length3:50
Almost all the historians agree
Track length3:18
Alexander was now eager to see the ocean
Track length3:59
His voyage down the rivers took up seven months' time
Track length1:55
At Gedrosia, his admiral, Nearchus
Track length2:38
The thirty thousand boys whom he left behind him to be taught
Track length3:39
As he was upon his way to Babylon
Track length3:23
But the journals give the following record
Track length2:56
Plutarch: Demosthenes (384-322 BC)
Work length32:29
Demosthenes (384-322 BC)
Track length3:39
As soon, therefore, as he was grown up to man's estate
Track length3:55
Whence then, may some say
Track length2:18
However, finding it a hard matter
Track length2:42
It was evident
Track length3:20
But there was, it should seem
Track length3:03
Demosthenes had secret intelligence of the death of Philip
Track length3:31
It was not long after that Harpalus fled from Alexander
Track length2:13
Demosthenes resisted the inquisition
Track length3:11
Yet it was no long time that he enjoyed his country after his return
Track length4:37
Plutarch: Pyrrhus (329-272 BC)
Work length58:05
Pyrrhus (329-272 BC)
Track length4:05
When he was twelve years old
Track length3:22
From this time he began to revolve many and vast projects in his thoughts
Track length3:56
After this battle, Pyrrhus
Track length3:20
But Lysimachus now arriving, and claiming the defeat of Demetrius
Track length3:03
There was one Cineas, a Thessalian
Track length3:19
And first, he sent away Cineas to the Tarentines
Track length2:46
He now received intelligence that Laevinus
Track length3:05
This made Pyrrhus use greater caution
Track length3:41
Then Caius Fabricius came in embassy from the Romans
Track length3:43
The Romans, not having those advantages of retreating
Track length4:09
And being elevated with his good fortune
Track length2:45
He divided his army into two parts
Track length2:45
His affairs being yet unsettled
Track length2:44
Pyrrhus himself, in person
Track length2:12
Pyrrhus, upon the coming of these additional forces
Track length2:40
In the dead of the night
Track length3:39
Pyrrhus, seeing this storm and confusion of things
Track length2:51
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