Olympiad: An Historical Novel [Paperback]

Tom Holt (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 2001

This historical novel takes as its basis the fact that 2776 years ago a group of men ran between two piles of stones, and invented history. If, that is, history can be believed. All we know now is the name of the man who won the race in the first ever Olympic Games in 776 BC.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Two thousand, seven hundred and seventy-six years ago, a group of men ran between two piles of stones and invented sport. If, that is, history can be believed. The first-ever Olympic Games in 776 BC were apparently so memorable that all Western chronology is based upon them. All that we know about them is the name of the man who won the race. Over two and a half millennia later, it¹s about time somebody told the story. This enthralling historical novel, filled with adventure and misadventure, will confirm Tom Holt¹s place as an innovative, challenging, and wonderfully entertaining writer of historical fiction.

About the Author

Tom Holt is the author of such comic fantasy classics as WHO'S AFRAID OF BEOWULF?, EXPECTING SOMEONE TALLER and OVERTIME, and of historical fiction, including THE WALLED ORCHARD and ALEXANDER AT THE WORLD'S END.

Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Abacus (February 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0349113165
• ISBN-13: 978-0349113166
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 4.9 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,077,370 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Elis Olympics, December 28, 2002

By 

Lynn Sanderson (B.C.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Olympiad: An Historical Novel (Paperback)

Although marginally hystorical, this book is highly entertaining. The travels and travails of the brothers from Elis are hilarious and serve as a great reminder; the events from the past happened to folks, plain ordinary types, with no idea or plan for momentous events.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An olympic effort, March 31, 2004

By 

ilmk "ilmk" (UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Olympiad: An Historical Novel (Paperback)

Tom Holt's `Olympiad' is a fascinating satire that jabs its humorous finger into the ribs of ancient Greece and gives legendary occurrences a sense of wry life that makes it all the more readable. Sharp and witty, Holt's foray into the world of the historical novel leaves the reader wanting more. His prose style and grasp of his subject matter is fused into a perfect mix of historical fact and literary fiction to create a novel that is truly impressive.
Olympiad, in true Platonic style, takes the form of a conversation between a visiting Phoenician trader and a group of old men in the Greek town of Elis. The story is primarily narrated between blind Cleander and digitless Cratus, two brothers who know the true story behind the founding of the ancient Olympic Games (or Elean Games as they were auspiciously known on their inauguration) and in a length narration give both the versions of events.
The story commences with an ill-fated war against the Triphylians which turns out badly for the perfect King Leon and the brothers' family. As a result of the funeral Games, Cleander suggests to the King that he hold a Games to celebrate no deaths and call the greatest Games players in all Greece to attend. Leon agrees to this splendid idea and promptly packs Cleander, Cratus and three others - their uncle Sarpedon, who has a penchant for violence, Dusa, their overly confident sixteen year old sister, and Tachys, the only man who'll agree to the insanity - off as heralds to announce the Games. What doesn't help is that King Leon's other son, Prince Oeleus, in an attempt to prevent the Games being held and his older brother benefiting from them, is desperate to prevent the games so he sends Alastor to go to all the towns ahead of the fellowship and prevent them from being welcomed.
The first part of the journey has mixed results: our group get in a fight, discover Tegea has become prosperous, discover Pylos has been razed, have a pointless but nice time with the Spartans etc. Eventually, they rescue Pentheus of Aegina, who just happens to come from a family of Gamesplayers who excel (Dusa also manages to fall in love) who narrates his own story of the funeral games held for Phorbus and their family's Games contest against the visiting Corinthian Laops family. During the chariot race a crash killed both their sister Actis and one of the Corinthians and led to a fight and subsequent blood feud.
After taking Pentheus along with them they wind up in Argos where the Argives have actually commenced their own Games. After watching the displays and determining to ask them back to Elis, they're promptly forced to run for it after Alastor and Tachys (who has now joined him) falsely accuse Pentheus of sacrilege.
After sailing the wrong way and ending up in Megara, a dosage of flour secures Pentheus a chariot army with which to regain his Aegina island kingdom. Pure chance ends up with one dead Pentheus and one Sarpedon taking over a King of Aegina. This provides the perfect excuse to hold some funeral Games and lure the best from Athens, to then ostensibly recruit for the Elean Games - though in a moment of pure hilarious farce they have a massive pyre but forget the body.
After managing to make it back to Elis (Cleander being cuckolded in the meantime) they finally create their Games stadium and no one arrives until they conscript a pirate ship for a great footrace that, ultimately, achieves its objective.
Holt's characters play off each other perfectly, bickering just like any family, but also showing great flashes of intuition and always able to help each other out. The philosophical debates on how one can truly record history and how people achieve greatness that regularly appear as the aging Cleander and Cratus pause in their story to the Phoenician drive home a valuable exercise in logical thinking and perception. For this reader, I cannot praise Holt's novels highly enough and I only wish I had discovered this marvellous author a lot sooner.
A must read.