"The Last of the Wine" examines the Peloponnesian war through the eyes of fictional Alexias. A student of Sokrates and friend of Plato, Xenophon and many others well known to us through the annals of history, Alexias is a well-to-do young man with an interest in philosophy as well as soldiering.Renault has clearly researched the period and captured the social mores, Athenian daily life, etc., in splendid prose. Her dialogue feels a trifle stiff, but this may have been a function of trying to capture the style of the day.The book also focuses, in a non-explicit fashion, on the same-sex relationship between Alexias and Lysis. It was thought unusual in ancient Greece for two men to be lovers and was, in fact, somewhat expected. The challenges in the relationship are dealt with in a realistic fashion.Recommended for those with an interest in the time period, fans of historical fiction, or those looking for some very well-written GLBT literature.
