Plutarch’s Lives: Antique Half-Leather Volume, John Dryden

This deeply weathered antique edition of Plutarch’s Lives of Illustrious Men, published by Hurst & Company and translated from the Greek by John Dryden and others, is a richly tactile piece of classical history.

Bound in half burgundy leather, it features ornate gilt detailing along the spine, now worn and flaking with noticeable loss. The boards show heavy rubbing and fading, and the binding is fragile, with cracked hinges and exposed webbing visible inside the cover.

The pages are age-toned throughout, with foxing and darkened edges, and include illustrated plates that lend visual interest to the text.