Book Notices | Tyranny by Martin Sulev

Martin Sulev, Tyranny

Amazon   It took me an unconscionably long time to get around to reading this book, which the author kindly sent me some years ago. I'm sorry about that, but happy that I have finally read it. Tyranny is the first in what is now a trilogy of "Demon of Athens" novels that follow the exploits of Daimon, the son of an Athenian general and a Thracian slave. Because of his mother's ancestry, Daimon is not an Athenian citizen. His diminished status as a half-breed with limited rights both marks him as an inferior in the eyes of some and drives him to excel.    The story starts in the latter half of the Peloponnesian War (431-404 B.C.), shortly before the Athenians' ill-fated expedition to Sicily (415), and culminates in the fighting at Munychia and the Piraeus that led to the overthrow of the Thirty Tyrants (the murderous oligarchic regime imposed on Athens after its defeat by Sparta) and the restoration of democracy in 403. Daimon plays an important role throughout, in particular in the defeat of the oligarchs, when he serves as a lochagos (captain) under the general and champion of democracy Thrasybulus. Daimon is a powerful warrior and an able strategist, but despite his impressive physical feats, he never felt implausible or exaggerated to me.  I guess I tend to avoid reading historical fiction—hence that delay—but when it's done well, as this book is, it really can breathe life into historical events in a way that straightforward history does not. Highly recommended for anyone with an interest in ancient Athenian history.