Vidal’s historical novel set in the 5th century BC and narrated by Cyrus Spitama, son of a Persian prince and Greek sorceress, grandson of the prophet Zoroaster, and ambassador to the courts of India, China and Greece. Pericles, Thucydides, Sophocles and Confucius are among the book’s characters.
Newsletter Signup
By clicking ‘Sign Up,’ I acknowledge that I have read and agree to Hachette Book Group’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Use
Reviews
Our greatest living historical novelist.
Splendid, serene, magisterial.
Highly absorbing, rich in history, irony and erudition.
An historical novel of awesome scope and scholarship.