The biographies collected in this volume bring together Plutarch'sLivesof those great men who established the city of Rome and consolidated its supremacy, and his Comparisons with their notable Greek counterparts. Here he pairs Romulus, mythical founder of Rome, with Theseus, who brought Athens to power, and compares the admirable Numa and Lycurgus for bringing order to their communities, while Titus Flamininus and Philopoemen are portrayed as champions of freedom. As well as providing an illuminating picture of the first century AD, Plutarch depicts complex and nuanced heroes who display the essential virtues of Greek civilization - courage, patriotism, justice, intelligence and reason - that contributed to the rise of Rome.

These new and revised translations by W. Jeffrey Tatum and Ian Scott-Kilvert capture Plutarch's elegant prose and narrative flair. This edition also includes a general introduction, individual introductions to each of theLivesand Comparisons, further reading and notes.

The Rise of Romeis the penultimate title in Penguin Classics' complete revised Plutarch in six volumes. Other titles includeRomeIn Crisis,On Sparta,Fall of the Roman Republic,The Age of AlexanderandThe Rise and Fall of Athens.