Rating: 
Summary: A wonderful book! Everyone should read it!
Review: This wonderful story of a young man living in the Athens of the 5th century BC is about friendships, family values, honor, death, love and coming of age in a time of great change. The reader is able to feel with Alexias as he watches his city, the birthplace of democracy and home of humankind's greatest thinkers, gradually fall to the Spartans and into the depths of despair. Mary Renault's ability to take human emotions in perfect historical context is astounding. This book should be read by anyone who has an interest in anything, because it covers it all!
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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