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Plutarch Literature Selections
For all of our upper level courses, the assigned
literature provides background and content for the student's analysis
and imitation work, and is highly recommended. Your student will benefit
greatly by reading as many of these books as he has time for. Most of
the books assigned are available online (links provided below).
Click on the images if you prefer to buy the books through our Amazon
bookstore.
Assigned Literature for Plutarch
Plutarch's Lives, Volume I
Plutarch's
Lives,
Volume II
Plutarch is the mascot of our book and reading his work is
indispensable to completion of Classical Writing – Plutarch. His
“Lives” are encomia of famous persons who shaped the histories of Greece
and Rome. We recommend that the student chooses eight to ten Greek lives
and eight to ten Roman lives if he needs to limit his reading. Likewise,
in the second half of this book, we will assign specific parallel lives
[where Plutarch compares two persons from different eras of history to
each other] to be read and imitated. The paper version of the book comes
in two volumes, and we recommend reading selections from both.
Available
online.
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession
of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife." So begins this delightful
commentary on nineteenth century British manners and customs,
particularly as regards matrimony. Austen's characters provide us with
literary praise, blame, and comparison exercises.
Available online.
Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe
In Plutarch, we study both encomia and invective. Uncle Tom’s
Cabin is a must read because the entire story is an invective of the
institution of slavery.
Available online.
Silas Marner by George Eliot
One of many themes in Silas Marner is that the love of others is more
fulfilling than the love of money. Silas Marner is assigned reading,
which could be made optional.
Available online.
Cicero's Letters
Cicero is the master of Latin Prose, and in particular famous for his
letter writing. Reading a broad selection of his letters is required
reading for Classical Writing–Plutarch. We will revisit these letters
again in Classical Writing–Demosthenes.
Available online.
Supplemental Literature for Plutarch
See also Supplemental Literature for Herodotus and Advanced Poetry
Primer: Resources and Literature
Aesop & Homer: Assigned and Supplemental Reading
Diogenes: Assigned and Supplemental Reading
Herodotus: Assigned and Supplemental Reading
Demosthenes: Assigned and Supplemental Reading
Poetry: Assigned and Supplemental Reading
