Let’s give a warm
welcome to T.E.Taylor. Tim is going to
share with us the inspiration behind his latest book…
Zeus of Ithome
By
T.E.Taylor
Greece, 373 BC. For three centuries, the Messenian
people have been brutally subjugated by their Spartan neighbours and forced to
work the land as helot slaves. Diocles, a seventeen-year-old helot, has known
no other life but servitude. After an encounter with Spartan assassins, he is
forced to flee, leaving behind his family and his sweetheart, Elpis. On Mount
Ithome, the ancient sanctuary of the Messenians, he meets Aristomenes, an old
rebel who still remembers the proud history of their people and clings to a
prophecy that they will one day win back their freedom. A forlorn hope,
perhaps. But elsewhere in Greece, there are others too who believe it is time
that the power of Sparta was broken.
“Well-crafted and
with an engaging narrative, Zeus of Ithome is interspersed with a detailed
historical backdrop ... a well-researched novel intertwined with a heartwarming
story” – Historical Novels Review
Author’s Inspiration
I’d always been
fascinated by ancient Greece since I was a child, and I studied Classics at university.
The interest continued after I left, but for many years afterwards it didn’t manifest
itself in any of my personal projects.
That all changed when I was reading a book about Sparta by
the historian Paul Cartledge. We all know the Spartans: their reputation for
courage and martial prowess continues to be celebrated to this day in books, TV
documentaries and Hollywood movies. What is not so well known is that the
reason they were able to devote themselves full-time to the arts of war – and
to a large extent, the reason they needed to do so – was that quite early in
the history of Sparta they conquered their neighbours and turned them into
hereditary ‘helot’ slaves, who were forced to work the land for Spartan
masters. Thus freed from the need to feed themselves, Spartan male citizens
were able to spend all their time – from the age of seven onwards – training
for war or fighting it. The helots, collectively necessary but individually
expendable, provided ample opportunity for Spartan young guns to try out their
killing skills, an activity which was considered useful for culling any uppity
helots and keeping the rest firmly under the thumb.
All of this I already knew, from my earlier studies. I was
also aware that the helots included the original inhabitants of Laconia (the
country surrounding Sparta) and also those of Messenia, the land across the
Taygetus mountains to the west, who were conquered and enslaved by their
Spartan neighbours in the eighth and seventh centuries BC. Beyond that,
however, I had never really studied the helots or thought too much about them.
They feature as unfortunate bit players in the mainstream history of classical
Greece.
Reading Cartledge’s discussion of the helots sparked a new
and powerful interest in me, and gave birth to the germ of an idea. I was
particularly struck by the fact that, although they remained in brutally
enforced subjection for three hundred years, the Messenian people never lost
their sense of nationhood or desire for freedom, and would rise in revolt when
the opportunity arose. It seemed to me that their story was crying out to be
told.
What also became clear as I read was that, in the mid fourth
century BC (a little later than the period I had studied at university)
developments elsewhere in Greece provided an opportunity for the Messenians to
make one final bid for freedom. These events themselves were full of drama and
packed with fascinating characters, such as the visionary Theban general and
statesman Epaminondas. There, almost ready made, was the framework for a story
that would bring to life the long struggle of the Messenians and reveal the
dark side of Sparta and the myth of its invincibility.
Quite quickly after that I conceived of the fictional
characters whose personal stories would unfold against the backdrop of
historical events: Diocles, a young runaway helot; his childhood sweetheart
Elpis; and Aristomenes, a hard-bitten old Messenian rebel whom Diocles meets on
the slopes of Mount Ithome, the ancient sanctuary of the Messenians. The outline
of what would become Zeus of Ithome came together during the course of a long
train journey and the rest, as they say, is history!
Links for Purchase
About the author
Tim was born in 1960 in
Stoke-on-Trent. He studied Classics at Pembroke College, Oxford (and later
Philosophy at Birkbeck, University of London). After a couple of years playing
in a rock band, he joined the Civil Service, eventually leaving in 2011 to
spend more time writing.
Tim now lives in Yorkshire with his wife Rosa and divides
his time between creative writing, academic research and part-time teaching and
other work for Leeds and Huddersfield Universities.
Tim’s first novel, Zeus of Ithome, a historical novel about
the struggle of the ancient Messenians to free themselves from Sparta, was
published by Crooked Cat in November 2013; his second, Revolution Day in June
2015. Tim also writes poetry and the occasional
short story, plays guitar, and likes to walk up hills.
Useful Links
More info on Zeus of
Ithome: http://www.tetaylor.co.uk/zeus-of-ithome
Facebook author
page: https://www.facebook.com/timtaylornovels
Website: http://www.tetaylor.co.uk/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/timetaylor1
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See you on your next coffee break!
Take Care,
Mary Anne xxx