Plutarch's Lives

[kate in seattle]

True confession - I have not read all of them, Truth be known I have only read a few of them. It is time to do the ancients again - which ones should we NOT miss. Because, honestly, we will not read them all.

Do you read them in their 'proper' place (about the time they were written) or do you read them chronologically (start with Theseus for example). Do you read the Greek lives first, then the Roman ones? do you read them in pairs? (do you read them in a box? do you read them with a fox? j/k)

any insights or thoughts greatly appreciated.

[Rhondabee]

Oh, good! I have the same questions - especially about *when* to read them. Seems like a good book to break up & read chunks at a time.

One more question: Would these be good read alouds for a 6th grader? (IOW< for me to read out loud while 6th and 9th grader listen?)

[Dulcimeramy]

For 6th grade I just use the Gould children's versions. We read one from the Greeks and one from the Romans every Friday, the boys write narrations, and we call it done. I think I'd be tempted to do the same thing for high school, only I'd use Rosemary Kaufman's version instead of Gould's.

I'm creating a history review game, and I'm including *some* Plutarch. For example, I want them to remember that Romulus killed Remus. I want them to remember that the Spartan mothers told their sons to come home with their shields or on them.

The Gould version is great for reading aloud. The Baldwin Project has both the Gould version and the Kaufman version.

I boldly answered this question, but I should tell you that I don't really know what I'm doing. The only reference I ever had for Plutarch (pre-homeschooling) was Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. And I thought they made him up for the movie.

[kate in seattle]

I know that with Ambleside Online they read one "life" each term. But even in their seven year rotation they do not read all of them. They also have (or have links to) slightly modified versions, more appropriate for younger listeners.

hopefully someone will come along and help us out!

[HiddenJewel]

I opted to use an easier version with my 8th grader who is an advanced reader just because we could hardly get through the modified one we had been using. I like AO's idea of spreading them out. We were trying to cram them into one school year, and it wasn't working.

[Kareni]

... do you read them in a box? do you read them with a fox?

... read them in your sox. Read them with some lox.

Regards,
Kareni

[Rhondabee]

... read them in your sox. Read them with some lox.

Regards,
Kareni


Read them with chocolate - LOTS!

[Rhondabee]

These are great ideas! Thanks!

(This is for everybody - I'm never sure how to do combined "thank you" posts on the new board.)

[Harrison_B]

I've found in the library Plutarch's Lives Clough's translations. It is an old book (copyrighted 1918); however, it is a perfect book for middle school/high school ages. In the book, he translated Themistocles, Pericles, Alexander, Coriolanus, Fabius, Sertorius, and Caesar. You might want to check old book stores to see if you can find this book.