Why did leaders of the French Revolution admire Plutarch?

Leaders of the French Revolution admired Plutarch primarily because they were educated in the classics and viewed his accounts of ancient republican heroes as models for their own political aspirations.1

Having been raised on Roman history and the tales of Plutarch’s subjects, these public men found in his works a natural source of symbols and myths to express their new republican ideals. Their admiration was driven by several key factors:1

• Moral Values: They held a deep respect for the moral values presented in his writings, which emphasized civic virtue, patriotism, and the heroic nature of the individual.21
• Anti-Tyrannical Stance: Plutarch’s portrayals of historical figures who overthrew tyrants resonated strongly with the revolutionary cause.2
• Political Expression: The eloquence of the French national assemblies was frequently filled with Roman allusions derived from his pages, providing a framework for their rhetoric and political identity.1

This reverence was so profound that it influenced personal actions; for instance, Charlotte Corday spent the day before she assassinated Jean-Paul Marat reading Plutarch.2