book than to any other – first, as an agent, in al the usual ways,
and then later, coming to Greece and taking part in al the
excitement of seeing Lesbos and Athens and taking us to
Archaeon Gefsis, a restaurant that attempts to take the customer
back to the ancient world. Thanks for everything, Sheley, and
the dinner not the least!
I’m lucky that my friends stil volunteer to read my
manuscripts and criticize them: Robert Sulentic, Rebecca Jordan
(who also maintains the websites at www.hippeis.com and
www.plataians.org), Jenny Carrier, Matt Heppe, Aurora
Simmons and Kate Boggs. Thanks to you, this is a better book.
Christine Szego and the staff and management of my local
bookstore, Bakka-Phoenix of Toronto, also deserve my thanks,
as I tend to walk in and spout fifteen minutes’ worth of plot,
character, dialogue or just news – writing can be lonely work,
and it is good to have people to talk to. And they throw a great
book launch.
As usual, this book was written, almost every word, at the
Luna Café in Toronto, where I sit at my table, take up another
table with Barrington’s Classical Atlas, and despite that, get
served superb coffee, good humour and excelent food al day.
It is odd, isn’t it, that authors always save their families for
last? Realy, it’s the done thing. So I’l do it, too, even though my
wife should get mentioned at every stage – after al, she’s a
reenactor, too, she had useful observations on al kinds of things
we both read (Athenian textiles is what realy comes to mind,
though) and, in addition, more than even Ms Szego, Sarah has to
listen to the endless enthusiasms I develop about history while
writing (the words ‘did you know’ probably cause her more
horror than anything else you can think of ). My daughter,
Beatrice, is also a reenactor, and her ability to portray the life of
a real child is amazing. My father, Kenneth Cameron, taught me
most of what I know about writing, and continues to provide
excelent advice – and to listen to my complaints about the
process, which may be the greater service.
Having said al that, it’s hard to say what exactly I can lay
claim to, if you like this book. I had a great deal of help, and I
appreciate it. Thanks. And when you find misspeled words,
sailing directions reversed and historical errors – why, then you’l
know that I, too, had something to add. Because al the errors
are solely mine.
Also by Christian Cameron
THE TYRANT SERIES
Tyrant
Tyrant: Storm of Arrows
Tyrant: Funeral Games
Tyrant: King of the Bosporus
THE KILLER OF MEN SERIES
Kiler of Men
OTHER NOVELS
Washington and Caesar
AN ORION EBOOK
First published in Great Britain in 2011 by Orion Books
This eBook first published in 2011 by Orion Books
Copyright © Christian Cameron 2011
The moral right of Christian Cameron to be identified as the author of this
work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and
Patents Act 1988.
All characters and events in this publication, except those already in the
public domain, are fictitious, and any resemblance to real persons, living
or dead, is purely coincidental.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored
in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means without
the prior permission in writing of the publisher, nor be otherwise
circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is
published without a similar condition, including this condition, being
imposed on the subsequent purchaser.
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
ISBN 978 1 4091 1410 9
Orion Books
The Orion Publishing Group Ltd
Orion House
5 Upper Saint Martin’s Lane
London WC2H 9EA
An Hachette UK Company
An Hachette UK Company
www.orionbooks.co.uk
Table of Contents
Part I
Part II
Part I
Part II
Table of Contents
Part I
Part II
Part I
Part II
Marathon Page 58