Fiction set in ancient Greece  

From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia

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There is a body of ancient and modern fiction set in ancient Greece and ancient Greek culture, including Magna Graeca and Hellenistic kingdoms. Titles include:

Books

• The Dancer from Atlantis, by Poul Anderson (1971)
• The Firebrand, by Marion Zimmer Bradley (1987)
• The Sand-Reckoner, by Gillian Bradshaw (2000) about Archimedes
• Chaereas and Callirhoe, by Chariton of Aphrodisias (1st century)
• Achilles, by Elizabeth Cook (2003)
• A Victor of Salamis: A Tale of the Days of Xerxes, Leonidas, and Themistocles, by William Stearns Davis (1907)
• L. Sprague de Camp's historical fiction
  • An Elephant for Aristotle (1958)
  • The Bronze God of Rhodes (1960)
  • The Dragon of the Ishtar Gate (1961)
  • The Arrows of Hercules (1965)
  • The Golden Wind (1969)
• Margaret Doody, Aristotle and Stephanos series
  • Aristotle Detective (1978)
  • Aristotle and the Fatal Javelin (1980)
  • Aristotle and Poetic Justice (2000)
  • Aristotle and the Secrets of Life (2002)
  • Anello di bronzo ("Ring of Bronze") (2003)
  • Poison in Athens (2004)
  • Mysteries of Eleusis (2005)
• The Ten Thousand, by Michael Curtis Ford (2001)
• The Wreckage of Agathon, by John Gardner (1970)
• Celestial Matters, by Richard Garfinkle (1996)
• Troy: Lord of the Silver Bow, by David Gemmell (2005)
• The Double Tongue, by William Golding (1995)
• The Golden Fleece (U.K.) aka Hercules, My Shipmate (USA) by Robert Graves (1945)
• Homer's Daughter by Robert Graves (1955)
• The Rage of Achilles, by Terence Hawkins (2009)
• Aethiopica or Theagenes and Chariclea, by Heliodorus of Emesa (2nd century)
• The Plot to Save Socrates, by Paul Levinson (2006)
• Daphnis and Chloe, by Longus (2nd century)
• True History, by Lucian (2nd century AD), not necessarily set anywhere near Greece
• Spartan, by Valerio Massimo Manfredi (2003)
• In Kithairon's Shadow, by Jon Edward Martin (2003)
• Shades of Artemis, by Jon Edward Martin (2005)
• Cloud Cuckoo Land, by Naomi Mitchison (1925) (set in 5th century BC)
• The Isle of Stone: A Novel of Ancient Sparta, by Nicholas Nicastro (2005)
• Memnon, by Scott Oden (2006)
• Gates of Fire, by Steven Pressfield (1999)
• Tides of War, by Steven Pressfield (2001)
• Last of the Amazons, by Steven Pressfield (2002)
• The Virtues of War, by Steven Pressfield (2005)
• Hoplite: Torch of Prometheus, by Michael Pritsos (2008)
• The Last of the Wine, by Mary Renault (1956)
• Mary Renault, "Thesead"
  • The King Must Die (1958)
  • The Bull from the Sea (1962)
• The Mask of Apollo, by Mary Renault (1966)
• The Praise Singer, by Mary Renault
• Mary Renault, Alexander trilogy
  • Fire from Heaven (1969) — the early life of Alexander the Great
  • The Persian Boy (1972) — Alexander the Great after his conquest of Persia
  • Funeral Games (1981) — the successors of Alexander
• The Athenian Murders, by José Carlos Somoza (2002)
• The Adventures of Leucippe and Clitophon, by Achilles Tatius (2nd century)
• H.N. Turteltaub, "Hellenic Traders" series, set some time after the death of Alexander
  • Over the Wine Dark Sea (2001)
  • The Gryphon's Skull (2002)
  • The Sacred Land (2003)
  • Owls to Athens (2004)
• The Crown of Violet, by Geoffrey Trease (1952)
• Gene Wolfe, "Latro" series
  • Soldier of the Mist, by Gene Wolfe (1986)
  • Soldier of Arete, by Gene Wolfe (1989)
• Ephesian Tale of Anthia and Habrocomes, by Xenophon of Ephesus (2nd century)
• Goat Song:A Novel of Ancient Greece, by Frank Yerby (1967)

Films

• 300 (2007)
• 300 Spartans, The (1962)
• Alexander (2004)
• Alexander the Great (1956)
• Clash of the Titans (1981)
• Clash of the Titans (2010)
• Helen of Troy (1956)
• Helen of Troy (2003)
• Hercules (1983)
• Hercules (1997), A Disney film.
• Jason and the Argonauts (1963/2000)
• Troy (2004)

Plays

• A Midsummer Night's Dream, by William Shakespeare
• Timon of Athens, by William Shakespeare
• Troilus and Cressida, by William Shakespeare
• The Two Noble Kinsmen, by William Shakespeare and John Fletcher
• Adventure Story, by Terence Rattigan

Comics

• 300 by Frank Miller
• Age of Bronze by Eric Shanower

Video games

• Age of Empires
• Age of Mythology
• God of War
• Rampage Through Time
• Spartan: Total Warrior
• Titan Quest
• Zeus: Master of Olympus
• Rise of the Argonauts

Television

• Xena: Warrior Princess
• Hercules: The Legendary Journeys

See also

• Fiction set in Ancient Rome
• Fiction set in the Roman empire