19. The Persian Boy

by Mary Renault
Rated B

I thought the end of this book would never come. My problem with it is that I read the first half, read two other books and then came back to it. Bad idea.

The story is told from the viewpoint of Bagoas, a young eunuch and a real historical character who became Alexander's servant and lover following the conquest of Persia. Essentially this is a love story: not just between Alexander and Bagoas, but also Hephastion one of his generals and boyhood friend, lover, and battle companion. In the author's note at the end of the story Renault points out that history bears out the fact that Alexander was bi-sexual but leaned heavily to the homosexual side of his nature.

I recently watched a televised version of Alexander's life on the History Chanel. In that program they mentioned that Alexander and his army covered approximately forty thousand miles (mostly on foot) in twelve years. Taking into account that this army was fighting battles, and conquering nations all the way, I can't see how Alexander had time to date girls or the energy left to conduct a romance. This may have been a simple case of making do with what was readily available.

Renault portrays Alexander the Great as being handsome, charismatic, brave, usually fair and just, and a brilliant military strategist whose Macedonian warriors are willing to follow him to the ends of the earth. Putting together Renault's book and the History Chanel biography of him, I am totally impressed. He was truly a remarkable man.