Biography of Plutarch

Plutarch was a Greek man, from a wealthy family, who grew up near Delphi. He was a Roman citizen, in the time of the Roman empire. Plutarch is known primarily for two things, his biographies and a series of essays and lectures on morals and customs.
The biographies (or histories) are the most important because they provide some unique links to ancient history. Without Plutarch, we would have lost quite a bit of knowledge. For instance, he provided one of only five accounts of Alexander the Great.
His technique was interesting, he would write about a Greek subject and then a Roman citizen. In some cases (possibly all of them) he would then write a comparison of the two. Scholars believe that less than half of his works still exist.