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One of the truly fine historical novels of modern times. Not since Robert Graves's I Claudius has there been such an exciting living image of the Ancient World on this grand scale New York Times Theseus, the boy-king of Eleuisis, is ritually preordained to die after one year of marriage to the sacred Queen, but he defies the Gods' decree and claims his inheritance - the throne of Athens. His friends are the young men and maidens, slaves of the Gods, chosen for death in the Bull Dance. His fabled enemy is the monstrous, half-man, half-bull, Minotaur, devourer of sacrificial human flesh. In her classic re-creation of a myth so powerful that its impact has survived down the centuries, Mary Renault has brought to life the world of ancient Greece. For here is the true Atlantis legend, with its culmination in the terrible, fateful destruction of the great Labyrinth, the palace of the house of Minos.
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Theseus, the boy-king of Eleuisis, is ritually preordained to die after one year of marriage to the sacred Queen, but he defies the Gods' decree and claims his inheritance - the throne of Athens. His friends are the young men and maidens, slaves of the Gods, chosen for death in the Bull Dance. His fabled enemy is the monstrous, half-man, half-bull, Minotaur, devourer of sacrificial human flesh. In her classic re-creation of a myth so powerful that its impact has survived down the centuries, Mary Renault has brought to life the world of ancient Greece. For here is the true Atlantis legend, with its culmination in the terrible, fateful destruction of the great Labyrinth, the palace of the house of Minos. (20030723)
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Bewitching version of the story of the Greek hero ,Theseus,
By
This review is from: The King Must Die (Paperback)
Everyone thinks they know the story of Theseus and the Minotaur, but this puts magical flesh on the bones of the story. Mary Renault's writing style is always superb - literate without being "literary", spare and vivid. This first volume of Theseus' autobiography takes him from childhood to the violent and epic end to his captivity in Crete, (as one of the Athenian youths taken to perform like gladiators in the bull ring of the Labyrinth), via his reunion with his father (whose mistress tries to kill him) and his time as consort to a queen who will force him to wrestle to the death with the next king. The fantastic elements of the story are all accounted for in a thoroughly plausible way, and the story is exciting and full of action. One of the best books I have ever read.
23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
"The law is: The King Must Die.",
By
This review is from: The King Must Die (Paperback)
Mary Renault's great historical novel of Theseus begins when he is a young man in Troizen, a well-bred youth who has never known his father's identity. When, with the help of the gods, he succeeds in lifting a stone to reclaim his father's sword, Theseus discovers that he is the son of Aigeus, King of Athens. On his way to Athens to meet him, Theseus arrives in Eleusis, where after wrestling the king in a fight to the death, he finds himself, unexpectedly, the King of Eleusis. Later, in Athens, when fourteen young men and women are chosen by lot to become bull-dancers in Crete, fulfilling a tribute demanded by the King of Crete, Theseus listens to his god and joins the group, never knowing if he will survive to return to his father. Renault tells the story of Theseus as if Theseus were a real person, not a mythical character, using history, archaeology, and a deep understanding of the cultures of the period to place Theseus in a realistic context. Her descriptions of the lifting of the stone, the wrestling match in Eleusis, Theseus's arrival at the palace in Athens, and especially his experiences in becoming a bull dancer bring the period vibrantly to life in ways consistent with the historical record. Theseus's devotion to the god Poseidon, to whom he prays throughout his journey, reflects his appreciation of his own smallness in relation to the gods, and his honoring of the gods unique to the kingdoms he visits show how the Greek religion gradually incorporated increasing numbers of gods and goddesses to explain the increasingly complex mysteries of life faced by Greek citizens. Renault never fails to treat Theseus, his religion and culture, and the traditions of the countries in which he travels with the dignity they would have inspired in their own period. She never patronizes either her characters or her readers, writing with elegance and a fine appreciation for the details of daily life, the art of the period, and the pantheon of gods thought to control men's destinies. Whether Theseus was a real man whose strength and reputation grew to mythical proportions, as Renault illustrates, or whether he was, in fact, a mythical character whom she places in a realistic context in ancient Greece is less important than the fact that she creates a plausible life for this monumental character. Few, if any, other authors are so successful in recreating an entire era, its people, its beliefs, and its culture. Mary Whipple
11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The early life of Theseus,
By
This review is from: The King Must Die (Paperback)
Renault is a magical writer with an almost unique ability to immerse her readers in the glittering alien culture of the ancient world.
Here she takes the early life of Theseus, boy heir to the King of Athens and creates a powerful narrative of his coming of age. She knows her ancient sources, not just the classical Greek myths but also the pre-classical Minoan civilisation and carries us with her without faltering. Theseus joins the band of Athenian youths paid as tribute to Minos, the King of Crete, and then saves them from early death at the hands of the Minotaur (here an illegitimate son of Minos, rather than the monstrous man-bull of myth). He meets Ariadne, daughter of Minos and with her help eventually escapes with his companions back to Athens, en route abandoning her on Naxos. The book ends with the death of his father due to Theseus' own unthinking oversight so that he himself reaches manhood and ascends to the kingship. Like Renault's other novels set in ancient Greece, this is a beautifully written and haunting tale of love, duty and growing up, set in an alien culture that both comes alive and is made effortlessly comprehensible through Renault's superb mediation. If you loved this, read The Bull from the Sea, the 2nd part of Theseus' life.
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