The great myths...the wars against the Persians...the Olympic Games...the Oracle at Delphi...the rival city states of Athens and Sparta — the world of the ancient Greeks yields a fascinating landscape for fiction.
THE ISLE OF STONE by Nicholas Nicastro A novel about the rivalry between Sparta and Athens, by the author of Empire of Ashes (about Alexander).
OEDIPUS ON THE ROAD by Henry Bauchau “Skillfully reworks the Greek myth of Oedipus, taking an obscure part of the tale...and giving it a new significance.” (NY Times)
IOKASTE by Grossack & Underwood The Queen of Thebes becomes both mother and wife to Oedipus in a Bronze Age myth retold from a different point of view.
PASIPHAE by Peter Huby The queen of Crete, consumed with passion for a white bull, turns for help to the inventor Daedalus. By the author of Carthage.
ANABASIS: A Journey to the Interior by Ellen Gilchrist National Book Award winner Gilchrist tells the story of a girl’s journey from slavery to freedom in the age of Pericles.
THE RISE & FALL OF THE SACRED BAND OF THEBES by G.A. Hauser follows the elite training of a young Theban aristocrat. By the author of In the Shadow of Alexander.
By Jon Edward Martin: IN KITHAIRON’S SHADOW Five men in the tiny city-states of Greece stand between Xerxes of Persia and his plan for conquest. • SHADES OF ARTEMIS Sparta’s most audacious commander embarks on a daring mission to bring Athens to its knees.
300 by Frank Miller Visually stunning graphic novel about the 300 Spartans and the battle of Thermopylae.
SAPPHO’S LEAP by Erica Jong The controversial author of Fear of Flying tells the tale of the poet of Lesbos.
ATHENS RISING by William Mott Hippias, the last Tyrant of Athens, is brought down by the lovers Harmodius and Aristogiton, the legendary fathers of Athenian democracy.
RING OF FIRE by Marline Haleff Advancing through the temple hierarchy of the Oracle of Delphi, a priestess learns the use of snakes, herbs, and the terrifying Ring of Fire.
NOVELS OF ANCIENT GREEK SEAFARING by H.N. Turteltaub (aka Harry Turtledove) • The adventures of Sostratos and Menedemos (an ancient Odd Couple) begin in Over the Wine Dark Sea, and continue in The Gryphon’s Skull, The Sacred Land, and Owls to Athens. Of related interest: Turteltaub’s epic novel of Byzantium, Justinian, and his collaboration with Judith Tarr, Household Gods, about a modern woman transported to the age of ancient Rome.
PHANARBAZUS SITS ON THE GROUND WITH THE SPARTAN CAPTAINS by Peter Carnahan An encounter between a Spartan warrior and a Persian ruler leads to revelations about the death of the great general Alcibiades.
MURDER AT THE PANIONIC GAMES by Michael B. Edwards When an athlete is poisoned at the Greek games in 650 B.C., a priest vows to find the killer.
THE ATHENIAN MURDERS by Jose Carlos Somoza A text recounting murder at Plato’s Academy plays tricks with a translator’s mind. CWA Gold Dagger winner.
THE EYE OF CYBELE by Daniel Chavarria Edgar-winner Chavarria ventures to the age of Pericles with a novel that mixes whodunnit, historical epic, & highbrow erotica.
CHAMPION OF THE DEAD by Patrick Hatten When Athens’ finest boxer drops dead during a match with the “Bull of Corinth,” his protégé suspects foul play.
NOVELS OF STEVEN PRESSFIELD • Last of the Amazons tells of Theseus and the Amazon queen Antiope; Gates of Fire recounts the heroic battle of Thermopylae; Tides of War follows the amazing career of Alcibiades; The Virtues of War is a sirring novel of Alexander.
NOVELS OF MARY RENAULT Renault was one of the finest historical novelists of the last century. The Last of the Wine takes place during the twilight of the Golden Age of Athens. The King Must Die is her classic novel of Theseus, followed by The Bull From the Sea. The ancient Greek theatre is brought to vivid life in The Mask of Apollo. In The Praise Singer, the lyric poet Simonides takes part in the early flowering of Greek culture. Renault’s most enduring legacy is her trilogy about Alexander the Great: Fire From Heaven, The Persian Boy, and Funeral Games. She also wrote an insightful biography of the conqueror, The Nature of Alexander the Great. • Anyone fascinated by Renault’s fiction should explore two fine biographies: The Masks of Mary Renault by Caroline Zilboorg of Cambridge University, and Mary Renault by David Sweetman.
