Plutarch: Life of Antony

Pelling presents the Greek text of Plutarch's Life of Antony, a work remarkable for its colorful narrative and vivid characterization of Antony and Cleopatra. Although mostly concerned with the literary merit of the Life, the text is accompanied by an extensive introduction that sets the work in its historical perspective and by detailed commentary that explains points of linguistic difficulty. Especially interesting is Pelling's discussion of the influence of the Life on Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra, whose conception of the character and destiny of its protagonist is almost wholly shaped by Plutarch's work.