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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

Orson Scott Card

Ender’s Game

Six-year old boy genius Ender (Andrew) Wiggin is selected for training at the Battle School. An elite force of soldiers is needed to protect humanity from invasion by an alien force, named the ‘Buggers,’ for their resemblance to insects. Ender’s intelligence includes an awareness of his light and dark sides, symbolised externally by his empathic sister, Valentine, and his sociopathic brother, Peter (both of whom have been rejected by the School). As he undergoes his training, E(...)

literary

YEAR: 1985

COUNTRY: United States of America

TAGS: Alexander the Great Ancient Warfare Caesar Cicero Demosthenes Hero(es) Patriotism Rhetoric / Oratory Roman Empire