Welcome to Litsy!

I was hoping this book wasn't so self-help and more historical fiction and I got my wish. Socrates never wrote things down so we only have his teachings from his students like Aristotle. This book is a good New Year goal setting reference if you like learning about how to think common sensically and some easy reading.

My first #10BeforetheEnd book. I did enjoy it, particularly in its frank depiction of ancient Athens society during the Peloponnesian Wars. The main character comes from a noble Athenian family and Renault doesn‘t try to hide the ways Athenian culture differs from our modern sense of morality or ethics. At the heart of this is a love story between two men, which was completely accepted then. It was a slow and dense read, but worth the time.

#WhereareyouMonday

Today finds me in Ancient Greece during the Peloponnesian Wars following the fate of young Alexias, an Athenian noble, as he matures, meets his mentor and lover Lysis, becomes a soldier and sailor… He also encounters Socrates, Plato, and other famous Greek names which have come down to us through history. Slow read, but satisfying.

I‘ve started in on my #10BeforetheEnd pile! I need to ignore the lure of library books! 🤞

I was just approved for another ARC. Now, I can add it to my Netgalley tracker.

1️⃣ Reading, sewing, walking, hair appointment, library, grandkids
2️⃣ front yard: trees, shrubs, flag, porch
3️⃣ Central Texas near Austin, 75 F, overcast, breezy
4️⃣ 🏷️

#motivationalmonday @Cupcake12

@Read4life @iread2much @Deblovestoread @DebinHawaii @Born.A.Reader

There are often parallels drawn between the executions of Socrates and later, Jesus, but the author argues these are superficial. Drawing on Thucydides, Plato, Xenophon and others, Waterfield tries to draw out the historical Socrates and the context in which he lived to understand the charges against him. “Socrates was put to death because the Athenians wanted to purge themselves of undesirable trends, not just of an undesirable individual.”

OK but not an easy read. About a young man in Athens in ancient Greece. Good support for having a democracy. This took me awhile to get through. I liked her Alexander historical novels a little better when I read them long ago. Includes a lot of Greek terms but has a glossary at the end.

This has four dialogues that take us through, as the title reveals, Socrates's trial & final days. Euthyphro is a debate on the nature of piety as Socrates waits outside the courthouse, while Apology is a one-man monologue where a feisty Socrates argues against the charges brought upon him. Crito sees him in prison arguing with his rich pal on the nature of justice, while Phaedo is the longest, densest dialogue here, on the nature of the soul.

I'm starting a historical novel about ancient Greece. I've read a couple by her many years ago and picked up this one at a Thrift store.