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Plutarch Study Guides

Anne White's study guides represent a great deal of research, thought and work. We offer them to be used freely, and hope they will be a blessing to many students and parents. However, out of respect for Anne's work, please honor our long-standing terms of use, and do not repost this or any of the AO curriculum anywhere else, in any form. This copyrighted material is free to use, not free to repost or republish. Please be conscientious in your desire to share AO, and link instead of copying.

Introduction to the Plutarch Study Guides

Prepared for AmblesideOnline by Anne White

These notes, and the accompanying text, are prepared for the use of individual students and groups following a twelve-week term.

The text is a free mixture of Thomas North's 1579 translation of Plutarch's Lives of the Noble Greeks and Romans and John Dryden's 1683 translation (Dryden for clarity, North for character). Omissions have been made for length and suitability. Those using audio versions or other translations will want to preview those editions for "necessary omissions."

Some lessons are divided into two or three sections. These can be read all at once or used throughout the week.

Using the Lesson Material

Each study contains explanatory material before the first lesson. A little at the beginning may be useful to stir interest in the study, but it is not meant to be given all in one dose! The information may help as you introduce later lessons, or it may be used to answer students' questions.

I encourage you to make the lessons your own. Use the questions and/or creative narration suggestions that are the most meaningful to you. Remember that Charlotte Mason was satisfied with "Proper names are written on the blackboard, and then the children narrate what they have listened to." She also emphasized the importance of recapitulation, which can have two meanings: beginning each lesson by remembering what has gone before; or recalling something already known, and emphasizing particular points at the end of a lesson, which (again) should help with the next one.

Text-Only Versions

We have created text-only versions that can be printed out for the use of students who want to follow along with a teacher/parent's reading. These are linked from the individual study titles on our main Plutarch page.

Examination Questions

Each study includes suggestions for end-of-term examinations, with separate questions for the two studies (Pompey, Alexander) that extend over two terms.

AmblesideOnline Plutarch Readings: