The Persian Boy (Masterplots II: British and Commonwealth Fiction Series)
At a glance:
- Author: Mary Renault
- First Published: 1972
- Type of Work: Historical fiction
- Time of Work: 330-323
- Setting: Persia, India, Egypt, and Arabia
- Principal Characters: Bagoas, Alexander (later called the Great), Hephaistion, Artabazos, Ptolemy, Krateros, Darius, Oxarthes, Oxhead, Peritas
- Genres: Long fiction, Historical fiction
- Subjects: Maturation or coming of age, Gay men, Homosexuality or homosexuals, Love or romance, Slavery or slaves, Friendship, Death or dying, Kings, queens, or royalty, India or East Indian people, Idealism, Egypt or Egyptians, Fate or fatalism, Military life or service, Greek or Roman times, Biography, Middle East, Hellenism, Royal courts or courtiers, Persia
- Locales: India, Egypt, ancient, Arabia, Persia, ancient
The Novel
The Persian Boy is the central novel of Mary Renault’s trilogy on the life of Alexander the Great. Fire from Heaven (1969) deals with his boyhood and young manhood, Funeral Games (1981) with his death and its aftermath. Each work can be read independently. The Persian Boy, dealing with the last seven years of Alexander’s life and his conquest of the then-known world, is told through the perspective of Bagoas, a young Persian of noble family and exceptional beauty. Bagoas is captured at the age of ten when his father is accused of...
[The entire page is 2939 words long]
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