This is a post on my sci-fi/fantasy series, Pearseus, and the real-life inspiration behind it. It’s actually a reblog, originally posted back in 2014. I am reposting because (a) it’s one of my favorite posts, and (b) most of my readers weren’t following me back then.
As some readers have noticed, the map of Pearseus is essentially that of Greece and Asia Minor. I even called the first book in the series Rise of the Prince, in a nod to Herodotus’ seminal work, Cyrus the Great and Rise of Persia. But who was Cyrus, and who was this Herodotus everyone keeps talking about?
Herodotus is a story-teller. He tells the story of Cyrus the Great, grandson of Astyax, king of the Medes. When Astyax has a dream that his baby grandson will destroy him, he orders him killed. He gives the order to his most trusted general, Arpax. In what could be a precursor of Snow White, the general takes instead the boy to a shepherd, whose wife had just given birth to a stillborn baby. The couple raises him as their own until the boy turns ten and the king learns of the deception.
Astyax allows his grandson to return, once his soothsayers inform him that the dream was mistaken and that he, in fact, faces no danger from Cyrus. He pretends to have changed his mind, asking his general to send his own son to play with young Cyrus. When the boy arrives at the palace, Astyax has him killed and feeds parts of his body to his father in a rich banquet to celebrate Cyrus’ return, as punishment for his disobedience. When the general hears what the meal entailed, he hides his rage and simply comments that the meal was as exquisite as everything the king had ever offered him.
As soon as Cyrus grows up, the general approaches him and convinces him to rebel against his grandfather. He then asks the king for the honor of leading the troops against Cyrus. The king, in his infinite wisdom (or, according to Herodotus, blinded by the gods for his sins), accepts. The two armies meet up, only to join forces instead of fighting (seriously now, what mastermind could have foreseen that?)
Not one to take it lying down, Astyax takes the remnants of his army to fight them (after skewering his soothsayers), but his troops desert him and join Cyrus’ forces. Astyax is led to Cyrus in chains, and although Herodotus makes no mention about his exact fate, the fact remains that Astyax disappears from history in 535 BC.
OK, now we know who Cyrus was. But who was Herodotus?
As I was telling Charles the other day, Herodotus was a Greek historian, born in Halicarnassus, Caria (modern-day Bodrum, Turkey). He lived in the fifth century BC (c. 484–425 BC). Widely referred to as “The Father of History” (first conferred by Cicero), he was the first historian known to collect his materials systematically and critically, and then to arrange them into a historiographic narrative.The Histories—his masterpiece and the only work he is known to have produced—is a record of his investigation of the origins of the Greco-Persian Wars, written for the benefit of his fellow Athenians. As such, it includes a wealth of geographical and ethnographical information, but also a number of inaccuracies, written in to stroke the winners’ fragile egos. Which is probably why he claimed he was reporting only what had been told to him (what we call “anonymous sources” today).
The Histories of Herodotus is now considered as the founding work of history in Western literature. Written from the 450s to the 420s BC in the Ionic dialect of classical Greek, The Histories serves as a record of the ancient traditions, politics, geography, and clashes of various cultures that were known in Western Asia, Northern Africa, and Greece at that time. It is not an impartial record, but it remains one of the West’s most important sources regarding these affairs. Moreover, it established without precedent the genre and study of history in the Western world.
It stands as one of the first accounts of the rise of the Persian Empire, the events of, and causes for, the Greco-Persian Wars between the Achaemenid Empire and the Greek city-states in the 5th century BC. Herodotus portrays the conflict as one between the forces of slavery (the Persians) on the one hand, and freedom (the Athenians and the confederacy of Greek city-states which united against the invaders) on the other.
The Histories was at some point divided into the nine books of modern editions, conventionally named after the Muses.
You mentioned the story behind your book?
Oh, right. Well, the concept of Pearseus itself came to me after I had read Martin’s Song of Fire and Ice books, followed by Jim Lacey’s The First Clash and Herodotus’ Cyrus the Great and Rise of Persia. The main battle between Greece and Persia took place at the Bay of Marathon. I grew up on the mountain overlooking the bay, and Marathon itself is a short 20’ drive from my home. As a child, I’ve often visited the tomb where the ancient Athenians buried their dead. So, after reading Martin, I thought to myself, “wouldn’t it be great if someone did what Martin did for medieval England, only with the story of Greece vs. Persia? And in space? How cool would that be?” Then it occurred to me: so, what’s stopping me from writing it?
So, dear readers, if you found my story of Cyrus too much to take in, I can only say that I’m actually sugarcoating it, and that you have an ancient Greek historian to blame.
The Story Reading Ape said:
Reblogged this on Chris The Story Reading Ape's Blog.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Gwen Plano said:
Excellent post, Nicholas. I just purchased Pearseus and look forward to the hours ahead.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Nicholas C. Rossis said:
Thank you so much, Gwen! I hope you enjoy it 😀
LikeLike
Anna Dobritt said:
Reblogged this on Anna Dobritt — Author.
LikeLiked by 2 people
John Fioravanti said:
Great re-post, Nicholas! Looking forward to reading the series!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nicholas C. Rossis said:
Thank you so much, John 😀
LikeLike
Let's CUT the Crap! said:
F.a.s.c.i.n.a.t.i.n.g. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nicholas C. Rossis said:
Thank you so much, Tess 😀
LikeLike
Let's CUT the Crap! said:
You are welcome, Nicholas.
LikeLiked by 1 person
T.E.Mark - Author said:
Excellent post. Where can I get a copy of Pearseus? Wait! Lame question – I’ll check AMAZON now.
Thanks!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nicholas C. Rossis said:
Thank you so much, TE, and welcome! You can click on the image of the books, or follow this link: http://myBook.to/Pearseus
I hope you enjoy it 😀
LikeLike
Michelle Morrison said:
Ancient history is fascinating. Those ancient rulers could be extremely nasty. :-p It was, and still is in so many ways, dog eat dog,
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nicholas C. Rossis said:
Things have improved, for sure (at least in the west), but these things always lurk in the background.
LikeLike
The Owl Lady said:
Reblogged this on The Owl Lady.
LikeLiked by 1 person
gibsonauthor said:
Reblogged this on s a gibson.
LikeLiked by 1 person
arwen1968 said:
I have to say when I thought I’d take a look at what wp.com folk might have been recently writing with regard to Herodotus, a post explaining the idea behind a book on the Greek-Persian Wars set in space was not what I expected to come across! 🙂 Still, sounds an entertaining idea… Good for you.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nicholas C. Rossis said:
Lol – thanks! Amazing what you can find on the Internet 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person