His friendship with the old philosopher leads him to meet Lysis, a slightly older youth who completely dazzles him and who, he is very surprised to learn, has had his eye on Alexias too. I read this on my eighteenth birthday new laptop and debit card aside, it was the best transition into adulthood I could have had.'The Last of the Wine' is the story of Alexias, a young Athenian who is a pupil of Socrates. This is a love story but it encompasses so many other things. She shows us their strangeness discerning, sure-footed, challenging our values, piquing our curiosity, she leads us through an alien landscape that moves and delights us.” -Hilary Mantel Read more She does not pretend the past is like the present, or that the people of ancient Greece were just like us. “Mary Renault is a shining light to both historical novelists and their readers. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Mary Renault including rare images of the author. Through their friendship, Renault opens a vista onto ancient Greek life, uncovering its vibrancy, culture, and political strife, and offers an unforgettable story of love, honor, loyalty, and the remarkable bond between two men.

The first of Mary Renault’s celebrated historical novels of ancient Greece, The Last of the Wine follows Alexias and Lysis into adulthood, when Athens is defeated by Sparta, the Thirty Tyrants take hold of the city, and the lives of both men are changed forever. They attend the Olympics, partake in symposia, fight on the battlefields of the Peloponnesian War, and fall in love. Together, the young men come of age in an Athens on the verge of great upheaval. Prized for his beauty and athletic prowess, Alexias studies under Sokrates with his closest friend, Lysis. New York Times bestseller: A “highly superior historical novel” about the bond that grows between two men in ancient Athens ( Saturday Review).Īlexias is a young aristocrat living during the end of Athens’s Golden Age.

The Last of the Wine by Mary Renault