The King Must Die: A NovelIn this ambitious, ingenious narrative, celebrated historical novelist Mary Renault take legendary hero Theseus and spins his myth into a fast-paced and exciting story. Renault starts with Theseus' early years, showing how the mystery of his father's identity and his small stature breed the insecurities that spur his youthful hijinx. As he moves on to Eleusis, Athens, and Crete, his playfulness and fondness for pranks matures into the courage to attempt singular heroic feats, the gallantry and leadership he was known for on the battlefield, and the bold-hearted ingenuity he shows in navigating the labyrinth and slaying the Minotaur. In what is perhaps the most inventive of all her novels of Ancient Greece, Renault casts Theseus in a surprisingly original pose; she teases the flawed human out of the bronze hero, and draws the plausible out of the fantastic. |
Contents
BOOK TWO Eleusis PAGE | 61 |
BOOK THREE Athens PAGE | 111 |
The Legend of Theseus PAGE | 336 |
Copyright | |
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Common terms and phrases
Aigeus Amyntor anger angry answered Apollo arms asked Asterion Athens Attica blood breast breath brows Bull Court bull-dance bull-leaper called chariot Chryse Cranes Cretans Crete dance dancers dark dead earth Eleusis eyes face father feast feet fell felt fingers gave girls Goddess gods gold grandfather guard hair hand head hear heard heart Helike Hellene Herakles Hippon honor horns Kerkyon killed King Horse knew Knossos Labyrinth laugh live looked Lukos Minos Minyan mother mouth Mycenae Nephele never night painted Palace Pelops Pittheus Poseidon priest priestess Pylas Queen remembered ring round sacred seemed ship shouted shrine silence softly Sounion spear spoke stand stared stone stood sword talk tell Thalestris Theseus things thought told took Troizen turned voice waited walked walls warriors whispered wine woman women Xanthos young youth Zeus