Plutarchs Sertorius: A Historical Commentary

<i>C. F. Konrad provides the first book-length commentary on Plutarchs <i>Life of Sertorius</i>, the work that has shaped most modern interpretations of the man and his career. Quintus Sertorius (126-73 B.C.) was a political and military leader during the period of turmoil that ended with the Roman Republics disintegration just thirty years after his death. A major figure on the losing side in the first civil war (87-82 B.C.), he went to Spain to continue the struggle against the ruling senatorial faction with the help of Roman exiles and the native population. His military skill was much admired, but his increasingly despotic behavior, combined with failing luck in the field, eventually prompted Sertorius assassination by his Roman staff. One of Plutarchs most austere biographies, <i>Sertorius</i></i> lacks the rich color and wealth of anecdote characteristic of his <i>Antony</i> or <i>Perikles</i>, yet it is unsurpassed in its seemingly unbounded sympathy for its subject and is the most substantial source extant on Sertorius. By analyzing Plutarchs method and purpose, Konrad develops a more critical and less eulogistic view of Sertorius character and his actions during this period. The Greek text of Plutarchs biography is included in this book.