A Victor of Salamis

About the book

William Stearns Davis uses the Persian invasion of Greece as the setting for a historical romance involving athletic distinction, rivalry, danger, and loyalty. Glaucon's story moves from public admiration into circumstances that test how reputation is made and lost. Familiar historical names and major battles provide the wider frame, while invented relationships give the narrative its immediate motives. The author's note makes clear that the book is historical fiction; its dramatic scenes should not be treated as documentary accounts. It also reflects a strongly partisan interpretation of the conflict, including assumptions about East and West that require critical distance. Readers can follow the adventure while separating the novel's judgments from the historical events it uses, and noticing how private honour becomes entangled with civic allegiance.

• Honour and reputation
• War and allegiance
• Historical adventure

Why read it

For a historical adventure that places personal loyalty under the pressure of a large public conflict.

English historical novel · 1907