The
Moralia (
Ethika; loosely translated as "Morals" or "Matters relating to customs and mores") of the 1st-century Greek scholar
Plutarch of
Chaeronea is an eclectic collection of 78 essays and transcribed speeches. They provide insights into
Roman and
Greek life, but often are also timeless observations in their own right. Many generations of Europeans have read or imitated them, including
Michel de Montaigne and the
Renaissance Humanists and
Enlightenment philosophers.