Rating: 
Summary: War and life in the 5th century BC!
Review: This is one of the better historical fiction novels I have read. The novel takes place during the Peloponnesian War (c. 430 B.C. - 400 B.C.) a Greek civil war of sorts between Athens and allies and Sparta and allies.There are many famous personages here: Socrates, Pericules and others. However, the main character of the novel is not one of these. Alexias (the main character), is a young man who grows up in a noble Athenian family. He has a full ancient Greek life: participates in war, competes in the Isthmian Games (similar to the Olympics but at Corinth), has a homosexual relationship and then is married to a woman. One of the main problems I had with the novel is the way homosexuality is treated; it is considered part of the status quo, so to speak. It is historically accurate (i.e. the Greeks would act like that) but it is immoral nonetheless. One of the most interesting parts of the book is the effects of the War on Athens. To appreciate this, some background is necessary. Approximately 50 years before the start of this war, Athens led a military alliance that won the Persian Wars (against Persia, the superpower of the day). After the Persian Wars, Athens emerged as the naval and cultural leader of Greece. Athens also had a large military-political empire. Near the end of the novel, the Spartans (and their allies) lay siege to Athens. Inside the City, the Athenians suffer. There is substantial inflation and the nobles (including Alexias) start to suffer and hit the poverty line. In order to earn money, Alexias is forced to pose for statue sculptors and the wife of his best friend almost turns to prostitution. Then, the Spartans have their great revenge. They tear down the Long Walls... These were a great symbol of Athenian military power. A modern analogy might be if North Korea conquered America and then publicly dissembled and then destroyed all US nuclear missiles. The novel was very historically accurate and I found it very fun to walk around in the Agora (briefly defined as the meeting area of the city where business, politics, philosophy etc would happen) in Athens. I could see the places that the characters visited as I wandered around. This novel is a good way to get some feel for the time period and what it might have been like to live then. Historical fiction serves as an interesting complement to more traditional ways of understanding history. I know some other people who have read, "The Mask of Apollo," by the same author and I may just read that as well.
Rating:
Summary: Friendship, Love, and Courage...in ancient Athens....
Review: [excerpts of meaning from Mary Renault's
wondrous historical novel of life in
5th century B.C. Athens -- *The Last
of the Wine*...] [the novel is written in the 1st person;
as told by an Athenian, Alexias, recalling
his life in memory...as he recalls, the
reader experiences his life from birth, and
the moving reason why he got his name, to
the end of the novel...the first excerpt
is from his teen-aged years, and concerns
the youth who would grow up to be the
Idealistic philosopher, Plato...] One day when we met after exercise, Lysis
[the young man Alexias cares for] said, "Do you
remember that young cousin of Kritias',
Aristokles, the wrestler? You gave him a
message from me once, in the Argive's
palaestra." -- "Oh, yes; Ariston's son, the
lad who talks like a prince. I've not seen him
since." -- "You'll be seeing him soon; he's
going to the Games with us, to wrestle in the
boys' class." -- "You were right, then, when you said he would be heard of again." -- Yes,
and I fancy his chances too, unless another city
puts up someone outstanding. He was born for
[being] a wrestler; it's stamped all over him,
too clearly indeed for grace. They have a
nickname for him now in the palaestra; they all
call him Plato [which means, "broad-shoulders"].
--"How does he like that?" I asked. I remembered
the boy gazing at my face; as if he were putting
it up against some notion of beauty in his mind, which for a moment I satisfied. *** "I daresay a
little teasing won't hurt him; he is inclined to
be solemn. He takes it very well; at least they
learn manners in that family, and it's a pleasant
change to see one of them in the palaestra
instead of on the rostrum."
* * *
[recalling an event from his youth when
an incredibly handsome man came to a dinner
party -- symposium -- given by his father]
Once he gave a party to which the god
Hermes came. So at least I first believed;
not only because the young man seemed too
tall and beautiful not to be a god, and had
the air of one accustomed to worship, but
because he was so exactly like a Herm outside
one of the rich new houses, that his head
looked to have been the model, as in fact it
had." I was only shaken from my awe when he
walked out and made water in the courtyard,
which made me almost sure he was a man. Then
someone inside called out, "Alkibiades! Where
are you?" and he went back into the supper-
room.
* * *
[back to the Games mentioned in the first
excerpt...]
Next day were the boxing and hurling events;
then came the day of the wrestling. The weather
held bright and clear. Quite early the Athenians
had a victory; for young Plato won the contest
for boys. He fought some very good, scientific
bouts, using his head as well as his broad
shoulders, and was well cheered. Lysis
praised him highly. I could see how this
pleased the boy; when his eyes lit up under
their heavy brows, he had even a kind of
beauty. Before he went, he wished Lysis luck
in his own event. "Lysis," I said after,
"how well do you and this Aristokles know
each other? You smiled so seriously into
each other's eyes, that I'm still wondering
whether to be jealous." -- "Don't be a fool,"
he said laughing. "You know that's always
his way; what about yourself?" Yet I had
really felt, for a moment, that they were
sharing some thought unknown to me.
*********
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