Category: | Our Mythical Childhood Survey

Nikos Kazantzakis

Alexander the Great / In the Time of Alexander the Great [Μέγας Αλέξανδρος / Στα χρόνια του Μεγαλέξανδρου (Mégas Aléxandros / Sta chrónia tou Megaléxandrou)]

The novel covers Alexander the Great’s life, beginning with his famous taming of the wild horse Bucephalas at fifteen and ending with his death in Babylon in 323 BCE. The novel focuses primarily on Alexander’s twin ambitions, to unite Greece and to conquer Asia and how he made them a reality. He shared these aspirations with his father Philip II of Macedon, who is an important character in the early part of the book. This covers Alexander’s early life at his father’s cour(...)

literary

YEAR: 1940

COUNTRY: Greece

TAGS: Achilles Alexander the Great Aristotle Athens Callisthenes Darius III Demosthenes Greece Hellenism Heracles Hercules Homer Kleos (Glory / Good reputation) Macedonia Olympias Persian Empire Philip II of Macedonia Zeus

Andrew Matthews, Tony Ross

Antony and Cleopatra

The book belongs to the series by Andrew Matthews, where classic plays of William Shakespeare are retold. The story about Antony and Cleopatra is told in a form of recollections of Servius, one of Antony’s loyal soldiers. Servius goes back to recall memories from the day when he was listening to Antony giving a speech over Caesar's body. Shortly afterward, Servius was appointed to be Antony’s Centurion. Since that moment, the soldier’s memories overlap with the events known(...)

literary

YEAR: 2001

COUNTRY: United Kingdom

TAGS: Caesar Cleopatra VII Egypt Greek History Hellenism Hellenistic Egypt Mark Antony Octavian Ptolemaic Egypt Roman History Rome

Barbara Kramer

Cleopatra

The book is dedicated to children who reached level 3, meaning that they are capable of reading on their own and they can start to expand their vocabulary. The opening chapters introduce Cleopatra and explain where her ancestors came from and what her life in Alexandria looked like. The next chapters move on to Cleopatra's reign and her love for Julius Caesar and Marcus Antonius. The extensive biography of Cleopatra ends with chapters containing information about the Battle of Actium and the(...)

literary

YEAR: 2015

COUNTRY: United States of America

TAGS: Caesar Cleopatra VII Egypt Greek History Hellenism Hellenistic Egypt Mark Antony Octavian Ptolemaic Egypt Roman History Rome

Yan Marchand, Donatien Mary

The Revolt of Epictetus [La révolte d’Épictète]

Rome, at the time of the emperor Vespasian. Prince Titus, his son, is preparing a grand feast to celebrate Saturnalia when one of his slaves, young Julius, missteps and must be resold to another master. At the slave market, the boy, for the first time, meets Epictetus, who often comes there to talk to the human merchandise (that is how the slaves in the market are described in the book); Latin-speaking people there translate his words to those who do not understand Latin. Julius escapes wit(...)

literary

YEAR: 2014

COUNTRY: France

TAGS: Ancient Slavery Epictetus Greek Philosophy Hellenism Roman Empire Rome Saturn Seneca Stoicism Titus (Emperor) Vesuvius Zeno of Cyprus (Zeno of Citium)