The historical unity has been steadily kept in mind, and it is believed that nothing of importance has been sacrificed in the omissions.
While there may be a difference of opinion as to whether the man makes the epoch or the epoch the man, it will be generally agreed that the personality of a great man will always prove one of the most interesting and useful centers around which to group historical events.
A few brief notes have been given, supplying such information only as may not be readily gathered from the text. In looking up special information on any point, one is apt to get too much interested in the matter, and so annotate much more fully than is necessary for the under standing of the text. Notes are often, in this way, more harmful than helpful, as they tend to draw the pupil's attention from the proper object of study.
It may be worthy of mention that Plutarch rarely ever gives a date, which would seem to indicate that in his mind dates were of very little importance compared with the facts themselves.