Every now and again a writer comes up with a character that really works. Author Christian Cameron has done just that with two every successful novels set in Ancient Greece at the time of the Persian ‘troubles.’ Cameron’s principal character Arminestos seems to be a person he has intimate knowledge of. Arimenestos is a man that Cameron has been able to fully flesh out to a degree not seen in some of his other novels I wasn’t so fond of.
Arimenestos is believable, well rounded, very human and ‘Greek,’ with that air of tragedy born out of the classic tales of The Odyssey. The other characters in the novel come from a degree of historical fact and fiction. Meet Miltiades on one side, a man of mixed values and a hero with feet of clay. On the Persian side Darius, his friends and Briseis the woman he seeks but is never really attainable.
I particularly liked the way the novel is spun out with the tale of Arminsestos “Killer of Men,” retelling his life story to a family audience many years later. Other points in favour of the novel is the respect with which the Persian “enemy” is portrayed. These men are brave and portrayed as such, which perhaps gives the Greek victory at Marathon a better perspective on the courageous move that it was.
The battle scenes are well laid out and I enjoyed the history lesson on what it must have been like in the “WALL OF BRONZE,” of a Greek phalanx in the later part of what has been termed ‘The Bronze Age.’
The plot takes son of a village blacksmith through from his first battle in the then eternal wars between Greek City States, through betrayl, slavery and warfare to the epic battle of Marathon.
Why was the Battle of Marathon important? Why set the character in the time of the Persian conflict? If the Persians had won, the style of what was Greece, would never have happened, the Europe we know now, the story of Rome, all would have been very different with an oriental flavour from Persian influence dominant. Now there’s the story for a book!
It’s a great read if you like historical fiction. A little challenging remembering all the minor characters, a few twists for entertainment factor and an accurate tale of Ancient Greece as it was about to enter its golden era.
[subscribe2]