Hellenistic Lives: including Alexander the Great (Oxford World's Classics)

I read this English edition of Plutarch's Lives as part of my journey through the Western canon. My rating and this review are not of Plutarch himself, but of this English edition. As a note, OWC divides Plutarch's Lives into three editions: Greek Lives, Hellenistic Lives, and Roman Lives. This review is for OWC's Hellenistic Lives. First, Andrew Erskine writes an excellent introduction to Plutarch and the Hellenistic lives covered in this edition. He demonstrates that Plutarch wrote the Parallel Lives not to provide a true historical record of each man but to provide moral instruction from the virtues or vices each man exhibited. Second, Robin Waterfield's English translation is excellent (as it is in all of OWC's Plutarch editions). It is clear, concise, and accessible. Third, Erskine's notes are brief but provide helpful explanations of the text. However, they are end notes and not footnotes. End notes require the reader to constantly flip back-and-forth in the book. Footnotes are much preferred. Because of the use of end notes instead of footnotes, I've given this good English edition of Plutarch 4-out-of-5 stars.

wonderful book!

𝘏𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘤 𝘓𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴 is a solid collection of Plutarch's biographies, with the chapters on Pyrrhus and Alexander being the two standouts. Sharp, vivid, and full of character, as Plutarch's 𝘓𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴 often are, it's certainly an easy recommendation for anyone interested in Ancient Greece.

The book arrived early and the package was in good state, however upon opening it I discovered that the book appears to have been exposed to the sun for a long time, the pages are yellowed, other pages seem to have been damaged by water. The spine has a substantial hit. The pages have a strong odor to humidity. I'm very disappointed with the purchase and will obviously request a refund. It is a shame because the content itself is very good.