Being one of the reasons someone believes in the goodness of people is quite an extraordinary achievement one that, according to Plutarch, Agis fully accomplished. He, from the beginning, asks the question of what a good man looks like. Stated quite early in the book, Plutarch says that “The man, indeed, whose goodness is complete and perfect will have no need at all of glory.” Agis got his glory, obvious in the writing of this book, but he still didn’t have a burning desire of it. Plutarch applies his own logic and belief to this fact simply by writing that with the right nurturing and care a great man can prevail who knows that all that is glorious may not be good. This book brilliantly written by Plutarch has the common theme of Agis’ life, …show more content…
Using herdsmen’s sayings, he explains that the leaders who try to go with the public flow ultimately make themselves the slaves of the people of whom the leaders are supposed to be governing. Plutarch makes a point to say that although this person may call himself a ruler, he is just a servant to the multitude. He comes to the conclusion that if someone is searching for favor in the eyes of society, he cannot make the best choices for the common good because all that the leader is searching for is glory from the …show more content…
Somethings that should have been elaborated on were not, but, things that were necessary to the argument were thoughtfully explained, to me this was the book’s greatest achievement. Apart from explanation, Plutarch very well managed the task of applying his thoughts to the life of the good man, Agis. From this I gained a sense of understanding what a fully good person should be like, according to Plutarch, and it forced me to ask myself how God would see this view of life. I believe that the Bible supports that idea every man is greedy, shown in the way we conduct ourselves on a daily basis with money, or accomplishments, or even praise. Humans don’t need glory, but we crave it and the Bible supports that you can ever fully rid of that desire. This was one of the few little controversies against this book. However, this story does demonstrate the act of forgiveness which the Bible supports as being a key trait in a good person, because Jesus, the most perfect human to ever walk this earth could forgive all of the human race’s past, present, and future sins. If he can do all that, forgiving someone for, in the long run, a little wrong doing, is nothing at
In Ancient Rome, noble families grew tiresome of their kings’ have hasty behavior. Due to this, they revolted in 509 BCE, establishing the creation of the Roman Republic. The Republic was not strong enough to withhold the force that accompanied influential men and that led the creation of an Empire. The Roman Republic fell into crisis because of the internal unrest provoked by various leader’s reckless behavior and greed.
Solon surely was a dreamer, and a man of simple mind; When the gods would give him fortune, he of his own will declined; When the net was full of fishes, over-heavy thinking it, He declined to haul it up, through want of heart and want of wit. (Plutarch, 1992) The late dark ages in ancient Greece were times of turbulent reform, which gave birth to new styles of governance.
Of all the rulers in Plutarch’s Lives, Numa Pompilus was the one king who expressed characteristics of a true ruler. Numa displayed morality known by all the people in Rome. He was a peacemaker, which brought about a prosperous and joyful kingdom. Numa not only built on top of Romulus’s work to start a strong and powerful kingdom. Above all the rulers in Plutarch’s Lives, Numa Pompilus showed morality, good judgment, and self-sacrifice.
Odysseus, the main character in “The Odyssey,” written by Homer. Odysseus’s character was shown greatly and had many tales of adventure. Odysseus was able to return to his wife at home with the help of the big relationships he made. Leadership, wisdom, and his relationship with athena were some important characteristics Odysseus showed. One of the strong characteristics that Odysseus showed was his leadership.
Moreover, when “Alcibiades began to desire to see his native country again, or rather to show his fellow-citizens a person who had gained so many victories for them,” he was trying to be loyal to his people by showing them the best side of him, per se (Plutarch, Alcibiades). However, he was actually trying to show off to the Athenians how victorious he was in order to provoke regret in their accusation of him defacing the Hermae. Although charisma and confidence help a leader presents himself as powerful and a figure of authority, he has too much confidence to the point of arrogance. Humility is also a trait a good leader should possess, and Alcibiades has none. By being humble, a leader can create a lovable persona.
however what happens after is vastly different. Plutarch's version is more rooted in reality. It details Caesar consulting his comrade Pollio as they weigh out the pros and cons. Eventually, caesar decides
Temple defines heroic virtue as “arising from some great and native excellency of temper or genius transcending the common race of mankind in wisdom, goodness, and fortitude.” Temple’s definition of the virtues of a hero were deemed credible during his time, and provide basis to the argument I am providing to vilify Alexander the Great. Taking Temple’s definition apart piece by piece, he claims that a hero’s “transcendent virtue and goodness” will benefit all of mankind in the institutions of “law, orders, and governments” and will be beneficial to a “civil society.”
From Arrian, The Anabasis of Alexander, together with the Indica. (c.86-160; E. J. Chinnock, tr. (London: George Bell and Sons, 1893.) and Plutarch. Plutarch’s Lives. (c.46-120; Bernadotte Perrin.)
A great leader views the world like he is looking through 3D glasses, always seeing the depth and vibrancy of the possibilities around him. A bad leader is like a cyclops wearing an eyepatch, never able to see his mighty hand in front of his own face. In The Odyssey, Homer illustrates the journey home to Ithaca taken by Odysseus and his men. Unfortunately, Odysseus makes poor choices throughout his travels and his actions often do more harm than good. Two character traits define Odysseus and shape his poor leadership style.
However, God encouraged him to care and love for them. This is present in our society today. When someone hurts another, we care for the one who got hurt and show no compassion for the one whose fault it was. It is hard for us to show empathy toward the “bad”guy. It really does take God to help us.
Throughout the story “The Odyssey” by Homer Odysseus, the main character counters countless amounts of trouble. As king and leader it is his job to keep his men save and get the job done. Odysseus does whatever it takes to keep his men unharmed, and more importantly, alive. All his crew and him dream about is getting back to their homeland, but first they have to pass the obstacles. Odysseus demonstrates good leadership qualities by doing whatever it takes to get the job done, using his advanced cunning abilities to trick his enemy, and constantly saving his crew from dangers.
In order to complete any analysis of the Life of Marius, it is necessary to understand the author and context of the work. Plutarch himself was a Greek who lived from 46-127AD,
This book has given me a greater understanding on the Classics as a whole. The book touches on a plethora of classical topics in chapter 2, and often compares the western civilization to our west. The author also gave me better understanding of the time periods. I didn’t know slaves had better treatment than the free people in Persia at the time, or that war was an enormous role in Classics age. From the western civilization class I’ve took earlier this year, this books discuss the importance of money in a war, when Sparta beat Athens, or when Rome beat the Carthaginians because of the new money they received to build ships.
Julius Caesar: The Influence of The Common Person Former editor-in-chief of the international magazine, The Economist, Walter Bagehot once said, “Public opinion is a permeating influence, and it exacts obedience to itself; it requires us to drink other men’s thoughts; to speak other men’s words, to follow other men’s habits.” The plebeians throughout the play of Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare were easily influenced by not only the main characters of the play but also by each other. We can see them play off of the emotions and reactions of one another. The plebeians, much like people today, were heavily persuaded by those around them.
It can be seen as a trend throughout history that stories reflect a society’s culture and values. One of the most memorable and inspirational civilization that made a substantial contribution to literature was Greece. Sophocles, a renowned Greek playwright, is beloved for his dramatic and action-filled plays that effectively satisfied the ancient audience. In Sophocles’ tragic play, Oedipus the King, the main character, Oedipus finds difficulty proclaiming his purpose against the fate bestowed upon him by the gods. Alongside his struggling, the values and cultural aspects of the Greeks emerge, reflecting their views on society during that time period at which the play was produced.