Plutarch had many friends.  Many of the subjects of his biographies did too.  Eumenes of Kardia had friends in the enemy’s camp.  They advocated for Eumenes to be spared after Antigonus captured him.   Unsuccessfully, sure. But Eumenes, Alexander’s secretary, was a stranger and an outsider to Macedonian politics. He never would have made it…

Plutarch tells a story about Fabricius and Pyrrhus (one we did not cover in the podcast).  After Fabricius’ famous embassy to the king, he was made consul – one of the supreme commanders.  He received a visit to his camp from Pyrrhus’ chief physician. The doctor promised to murder the king through poisoning, if the…

Socrates was once involved in a conversation with some friends at the gymnasium, and they were joined by a visitor to Athens from out of town.  The man was creating quite a stir, claiming that he could discern someone’s character by a simple examination of telling features.  People in town were calling him a physiognomon…