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Midnight
Muse Books: Mary Renault |
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Mary Renault
English, 1905-1983
Books
are in recommended reading order,
chronologically
through time. |
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The
King Must Die
The life of the
Bronze Age hero Theseus, from his childhood through his adventure in
the Cretan Labyrinth. Details his discovery of his royal parentage,
his encounter with sacrifical kingship and ritual mysteries in
Eleusis, his journey to Crete as a bull-dancing acrobatic slave, his
love affair with the Minoan princess Ariadne, the slaying of the
Minotaur, and the destruction of the Minoan empire through earthquake
and revolution. |
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The
Bull From the Sea
The life of the
Bronze Age hero Theseus, from his early kingship in Athens to the end
of his life. Details his adventures with Pirithoos the Pirate, the
winning of the Amazon queen Hippolyta, the Battle of Lapiths and
Centaurs, the death of Oedipus at Kolonos, the storming of the
Acropolis by barbarian tribes from the north, and the tragedy of
Phaedra and Hippolytos.
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The
Last of the Wine
The life of
Alexias, a fictional Athenian youth, and his lover and fellow-soldier
Lysis, during the time of the wars between Athens and Sparta. Several
important historical figures are brought to vivid life in the novel,
including Socrates, Alcibiades, Xenophon, Agathon, Phaedo, and Plato. |
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The
Mask of Apollo
The life of
Nikeratos, a fictional Greek actor in the 4th century BCE, whose
fortunes rise and fall with the transition of power from the Sicilian
tyrant Dionysios I to his son Dionysios II, whom Plato attempted to
influence as a philosopher-king. |
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Fire
From Heaven
The life of
Alexander the Great from early childhood until his ascension to the
throne upon the assassination of his father Philip of Macedon. |
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The
Persian Boy
The life of
Bagoas, a beautiful Persian eunuch who became the lover and loyal
friend of Alexander the Great after Alexander's defeat of Darius the
Persian King. |
Also Recommended:
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The Praise Singer
[novel; out of print]
The life of the
6th century B.C. poet Simonides during the reign of the tyrant
Peisistratos. Includes the story of the assassin/lovers Harmodios and Aristogeiton.
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Funeral Games
[novel; out of print]
The aftermath of
Alexander the Great's untimely death at 33, and the subsequent bloody
struggle for power in his enormous kingdom. |
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The
Masks of Mary Renault:
A
Literary Biography
(Caroline Zilboorg)
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Mary
Renault:
A
Biography
(David Sweetman) |
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