Synthesized answer
The provided passages do not contain enough information to answer the question about the central thesis of the text "Lives by Plutarch." The description only states that the work consists of "Character studies comparing statesmen and generals of pre-Christian Greece and Rome" [Passage 1]. This explains the content of the book but does not articulate its central argument or thesis.
Synthesized from the book passages below. Chat with the book on Feynman for follow-up.
From the book
Title: Lives by Plutarch Description: Character studies comparing statesmen and generals of pre-Christian Greece and Rome.