The Olympic Charioteer
by
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Two cities at war—
Two men with Olympic ambitions—
And one slave—the finest charioteer in Greece
Set in archaic Greece, and based on incidents recorded in Herodotus, this is the tale of a young man’s journey from tragedy to triumph – and the story of the founding of the first non-aggression pact in recorded history: the Peloponnesian League.
Award-winning novelist Helena P. Schrader has again created a novel full of rich and realistic characters while providing readers a remarkable insight into Archaic Spartan society. Well-researched and intelligently interpolated from recorded facts, Schrader’s Sparta is a refreshing change from the stereotypes encountered in much modern literature.
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About the Book
Antyllus of Tegea had everything-wealth, power and respect-until his son was killed defending Tegea against Sparta. Now Tegea is on the rise, but Antyllus can find pleasure in nothing-not even his magnificent racehorses. While all Tegea believes Antyllus' chariot could bring Tegea an unprecedented Olympic victory, Antyllus knows that he lacks a driver capable of coaxing the best out of his team. More disturbing, Antyllus worries that Tegea's victory over Sparta is being used by certain radicals to undermine the democratic constitution. The Strategos that won the decisive victory is a demagogue-and he wants to extend the franchise to landless men.
Out of spontaneous pity, Antyllus purchases an abused quarry slave. The slave not only carries the seemingly prophetic name of "Philip", (Lover of Horses) but has an uncanny affinity for horses as well. While Tegea slips into tyranny, Antyllus turns his back on politics and focuses his hopes and dreams on an Olympic Victory. This is the story of a slave and a charioteer in Archaic Greece. Based on Ancient sources but using predominantly fictional characters, The Olympic Charioteer describes the events that led to the establishment of the first "non-aggression pact" in recorded history.About the Author
Helena Schrader earned her PhD in history. She has since published two non-fiction works on the German Resistance to Hitler and British and American women pilots during WWII respectively. This book is her first fictional work on Ancient Greece. Helena Schrader is a Foreign Service Officer, with extensive international experience.