History Literature / ParallelLives

* AndThenWhat: When Pyrrhus was about to go to war with Rome, his adviser Cineas, an Epicurean philosopher, asked him what he would do after conquering Italy. Pyrrhus replied, "We shall take Sicily." And then? "Carthage and Libya." And then? "Macedon and all Greece." And then? "Then we shall be at ease, drink, and gladden our hearts." Cineas then asked him why he couldn't just do that now? Pyrrhus had no answer.

** Cicero likewise is much chided by Plutarch for divorcing his wife of many years, and choosing a much younger woman for both her wealth, her youthful beauty, and her family connections.

* HeroOfAnotherStory: Plutarch's works offer many asides on characters you can tell he would have loved to have written essays on. In the middle of "Life of Antony"'s description of Antony's HeroicBSOD after losing the Battle of Actium, he describes in detail Timon of Athens (doing so well he partly inspired Shakespeare's play about Timon). He specifically says there could be more said about Timon elsewhere. Likewise, when describing Antony and Cleopatra's children, he mentions that one of them married King Juba II of Numidia, who he calls one of the smartest rulers of his time.

** Alexander the Great is also reported to cry a few times, most notably after he realized that he had just killed his friend Cletus during an argument.

* {{Foil}}: The concept of ''Parallel Lives'' compares Greek Lives with Roman Lives, and the comparison essays generally has Plutarch identify common parts from each. Indirectly, Plutarch, a Greek author writing in the era of the Roman Empire, is implicitly comparing Greek culture and history, with Roman culture, generally seeing Greeks as too ornery, dissolute, disorganized, and rebellious compared to the orderly, stately, and purposeful Romans.
* HeroOfAnotherStory: Plutarch's works keeps offering asides on characters who you could tell he would have loved to have written essays on. In "Life of Antony" in the middle of describing Antony's HeroicBSOD after losing the Battle of Actium, he describes in detail Timon of Athens, and even if its enough paragraphs, it had enough material for Shakespeare to base whole parts of ''Timon of Athens'' on that. Plutarch himself said there could be more said about Timon elsewhere. Likewise, near the end, when describing Antony and Cleopatra's children, he mentions that one of them married King Juba II of Numidia who he calls one of the smartest rulers of his time.

* MissingEpisode:
** Plutarch wrote a biography of Scipio Africanus, paired with Epaminondas; both are lost.
** Some of the comparisons, such as Alexander and Julius Caesar, are lost.