The incredible life story of Alkibiades and the power of persuasion his persona had over people is at times hard to believe to, but as historians attest to, his adventures and successes were real and undeniable. Starting as a pupil of Socrates, becoming a great Athenian warrior, orator, statesmen, and a major initiator of Athenian attacks in Sicily, he abruptly leaves the army he assembled, to escape a trial for a crime he was planted for by his political enemies. He joins Athens' biggest rival in an ongoing war, Sparta, and somehow makes their leaders believe him and put their trust in this former sworn enemy. In Sparta he served as a strategic adviser, proposing or supervising several major campaigns against Athens. However, Alkibiades made powerful enemies in Sparta too, and then defected to Persia, even a bigger enemy of the entire Greek world. There he served as an adviser to the satrap Tissaphernes until Athenian political allies brought about his recall. He served again as an Athenian general in war against Sparta for several years… and the story doesn't end here as well.
This historical novel dedicated to the unsung anti-hero the Peloponnesian War describes his amazing journey as well as the circumstances of the period, the 30 year long war, the rivalry of the states, the toxic political atmosphere and the ability of one man to overcome all this and succeed by his sheer cunningness and survival instinct.
