5th Century BC Historic Fiction
Explore the best 5th century BC historic fiction, from Gore Vidal's Creation to Mary Renault's The Last of the Wine—must-read novels set in ancient Greece and Persia.
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Creation
by Gore Vidal
Vidal's magnificent, bestselling historical novel of the fifth century B.C. is now released in a restored edition, featuring never-before-published material from the original manuscript. Map.
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The Last of the Wine
by Mary Renault
In The Last of the Wine, two young Athenians, Alexias and Lysis, compete in the palaestra, journey to the Olympic games, fight in the wars against Sparta, and study under Socrates. As their relationship develops, Renault expertly conveys Greek culture, showing the impact of this supreme philosopher whose influence spans epochs.