
Plutarch (AD 45 - 120) was a Greek philosopher, historian and priest who is known for his "Parallel Lives", a series of biographies, and "Moralia", a collection of essays and speeches. Plutarch's significance as a philosopher lies in his attempt to do justice to Plato's work, and to create a coherent and credible philosophical system out of it. In his own age, Plutarch was immensely popular because he was able to explain philosophical discussions to non-philosophical readers, Greek and Roman alike. The fact that he was priest in Delphi will no doubt have improved his popularity.