PLUTARCH O GRECKICH I RZYMSKICH ŻOŁNIERZACH

It is not easy to find interest in soldiers and army issues in the source literature which is devoted to Plutarch. However, considering only the statistical point of view, it should be noted that Parallel Lives is a huge base of information related to ancient soldiers. The goal of the presented article is to recreate the image of a soldier created by Plutarch in his works, especially in Parallel Lives. Although military commanders were also soldiers, the interest is focused on regular participants of military efforts who are considered as an army in general, especially because Plutarch often confronts them with main characters of his biographies. The article is an effort to find an answer to the following questions: Was Plutarch interested in military issues? Do Parallel Lives create a consistent image of a soldier, or are we just presented with some disconnected observations considering different historical conditions which are continuously changing? Which of the soldier’s types from the ancient literature are dominant in Parallel Lives and thus, which of the soldiers was immortalized by Plutarch?