The most significant literary work of Plutarch is, by common agreement, the `Parallel Lives`, which are parallel biographies, pairing one Greek and one Roman politician or general, totaling 48, of which 46 have survived.

He also wrote the `Moralia`, numerous treatises on topics including virtue, theology, religion, politics, and the role of philosophy in shaping character, particularly of public figures, whose choices and actions have always influenced the lives of the governed.

However, it seems that with his `Moralia`, he did not feel he achieved his objective of influencing the people of his time and guiding them towards the path of virtue, at a time when the Roman Empire was at its zenith and heading towards inevitable decline.

Thus, he turned to the biographies of great politicians and generals from the past, to provide more tangible and human examples - models for emulation of their great moments or for avoidance of their unlawful activities. Among his choices are Solon with Publicola, Themistocles with Camillus, Aristides with Cato, Pericles with Fabius Maximus, Alcibiades with Marcius, Pelopidas with Marcellus, Alexander with Caesar, Agesilaus with Pompey, Demetrius with Antony, among others.

In his `Parallel Lives`, Plutarch clearly states that he does not write history nor does he focus on recording their most notable deeds, but with real figures and true situations, he probes their inner world and provides readers with the necessary historical material to understand the characters of these renowned men and their moral behaviors.

Thus, in an artful manner, Plutarch reflects and intertwines his knowledge of the past with the need for moral revival among peoples and rulers, in a time marked by clear signs of decline.

[Excerpt from the publisher's or edition's presentation text]