Plutarch

When I was a child I wanted to read real ancient literature written by real ancient people, but I was directed to The Once and Future King and The Lord of the Rings. It was frustrating. Like everything we couldn’t have when we were

children I wanted to give my kids authentic literature from whatever time period tickled their fancy. To that end I’ve been writing a history through literature curriculum for eight years now. It requires i.e. gives me permission, to read all that literature I was kept from, most of it multiple times. Generally I really enjoy myself, but this read through of ancient lit has simply sat on my last feminist nerve, and I am begging it to get off. This is why reading Plutarch has become such a chore.

The spine of Plutarch Vol. 1 and 2 is about three inches thick, and while it isn’t polemical so far, the entitlement of ancient males and their disinterest in most things female as long as women are being properly dominated wears me out. I used to imagine what a great experience it would be to travel back in time and live in the ancient period. Now I get the hebejebees just reading about ancient times. Most of the books I picked are rich enough in other material that I can get through them, but Plutarch sets out to define good leadership through biographies of great men. He goes into the nitty gritty of their ideas and governments and general lifestyle. He lays it all bare for us to admire, but with my modern eyes I am often appalled. I could manage this more easily if there were less of it, but three inches, phew.