The Songs of the Kings

by Barry Unsworth

"Troy meant one thing only to the men gathered here, as it did to their commanders. Troy was a dream of wealth; and if the wind continued the dream would crumble." As the harsh wind holds the Greek fleet trapped in the straits at Aulis, frustration and political impotence turn into a desire for the blood of a young and innocent woman--blood that will appease the gods and allow the troops to set sail. And when Iphigeneia, Agamemnon's beloved daughter, is brought to the coast under false pretenses, and when a knife is fashioned out of the finest and most precious of materials, it looks as if the ships will soon be on their way. But can a father really go to these lengths to secure political victory, and can a daughter willingly give up her life for the worldly ambitions of her father?

Throwing off the heroic values we expect of them, Barry Unsworth's mythic characters embrace the political ethos of the twenty-first century and speak in words we recognize as our own. The blowhard Odysseus warns the men to not "marginalize" Agamemnon and to "strike while the bronze is hot." High-sounding principles clash with private motives, and dark comedy ensues. Here is a novel that stands the world on its head.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Mythology, Greece, Retellings, Greek Mythology, Fantasy

352 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

Barry Unsworth was an English writer known for his historical fiction. He published 17 novels, and was shortlisted for the Booker Prize three times, winning once for the 1992 novel Sacred Hunger.

Reviews

[Neale · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Songs of the Kings is a more realistic and political retelling of the Greek tragedy, Iphigenia in Aulis. I have never read this play written by Euripides, but I have read The Iliad, the great poem by Homer which chronicles the end of the Trojan war, which this play precedes.

The invasion of Troy has stalled at Aulis. A strong wind is preventing the ships from setting sail. This is Ancient Greece, of course it cannot simply be atrocious weather conditions, the Gods must have a hand in this. The alliance of Greek States, brought together under the pretext of Paris’ abduction of Helen, is threatening to break apart and withdraw before the impending war has even had a chance to start. The Gods must be appeased, and a sacrifice is needed. The “news” quickly finds Agamemnon that it is his daughter who the Gods are demanding to be sacrificed. However, where did this “news” originate from and who stands to benefit the most from it.

Odysseus, who is cast as more of a villain than a hero in this novel, cannot afford for the invasion force to fracture and for each of the states to withdraw and return to their kingdoms. Odysseus’ kingdom is Ithaca. A tiny rock in the Greek Empire. This invasion of Troy gives him the perfect opportunity to seize land and power and ultimately, riches and fame. Odysseus, who has always been cast as the wily, conniving, brains and planner in Greek mythology, is portrayed in a darker light with this novel. He is power hungry, manipulative and political. His main weapon a blind bard who he uses as a propaganda tool to sway the mood and views of the men over to his side and convince Agamemnon that his daughters’ sacrifice is unavoidable.

This novel was published in 2002 and I cannot shake the feeling that Unsworth is using this novel as a satirical comparison with America’s invasion of Iraq. A massive grouping of forces brought together for an invasion under the pretext of misinformation. The Greek States compared to the Coalition’s forces. The misinformation of Helen’s abduction, compared to the misinformation of Weapons of Mass Destruction. The riches of Troy, the oil and riches of Iraq. The importance of the control of the media and propaganda.

Unsworth certainly doesn’t shy from pelting some of Greek mythologies greatest hero’s with tar and feathers. Agamemnon, is constantly plagued with worry about the invasion falling apart, and his tenuous hold on power, his brother Menelaus with every chance he gets, never stops moaning about Helen being abducted by Paris. Both Ajax’s are buffoons, and Nestor, poor old Nestor is portrayed as a senile old fool always bringing up the same old stories of his past glory days at each meeting.

Paradoxically it is Calchas, Agamemnon’s seer, who does much of the narrating throughout the novel, and who is an outsider and vilified in The Iliad, who seems to be the most level- headed, and tries without success to steer Agamemnon away from the sacrifice.

Iphigenia is sent for and wastes no time in embarking for Aulis under the fictional story that Achilles has requested Agamemnon for her hand in marriage. However just as her ship arrives at Aulis, the winds die down. Will the sacrifice still go ahead?

I don’t believe that you need to have read Iphigenia in Aulis, but a rudimentary knowledge of The Iliad and the Trojan War is extremely helpful in understanding what Unsworth is alluding to with this novel. For me it is a satire about politics, war and propaganda using Euripides’ play as the setting. 4 Stars.

[Captain Sir Roddy, R.N. (Ret.) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have just finished reading The Songs of the Kings by Booker Prize winner, Barry Unsworth. This is an eloquent and powerfully written novel that is quite thought-provoking on several levels. The novel was published in 2003, and I have to wonder if there was an external motivation behind Unsworth's writing of the novel than simply writing a good story? More on that in a moment though. First, I think it will be useful to provide a brief bit of background on a few important aspects of Greek mythology that bear on the plot of the novel.

Okay, so I need all of you to dredge up and recall some of the bits and pieces of Greek mythology that you've run across in the course of your life. First, the "Judgment of Paris", where Paris (son of Trojan king and queen, Priam and Hecuba) selects Aphrodite as "the most beautiful" among the three goddesses, Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite. In return, Aphrodite rewards Paris (the sycophant that he is) with the ability to 'seduce' and carry off Helen of Sparta, the wife of Menelaus, king of Sparta, and the brother of Agamemnon, the king of Mycenae. Second, as part of the agreement behind Helen choosing which suitor to marry, her father Tyndareus evoked a pledge from all of her suitors that they would rally and stand behind whoever her eventual husband was if there was ever any "future threat to the marriage". The suitors--pretty much all of the Greek chieftains--so pledged, and Helen then selected Menelaus to be her husband. Now, fast forward about ten-years, and along comes 'pretty-boy' Paris, and Helen elopes with him and off to Troy they go. It is safe to say that this action probably qualified as a "threat to the marriage" of Helen and Menelaus. Consequently, the Greeks rally their forces, under the command of Agamemnon, and set off to destroy Troy and 'rescue' Helen from the 'lecherous' clutches of Paris. The Greek fleet sails to its initial rendezvous point on the east coast of Greece, to a little fishing village known as Aulis. This is where Unsworth picks up the tale in The Songs of the Kings.

Unsworth's book is a story in five acts, and must be a nod to the structure typically utilized by the ancient Greek dramatists. The Greek fleet is trapped at Aulis by contrary winds and weather conditions, and the army, and its chieftains, are getting restless and losing their will to carry the fight to Troy. In Unsworth's novel, we read of a cabal of the senior Greek leaders, instigated and led by Odysseus (he brings new meaning to the term "Machiavellian"), that begins to develop a conspiracy that will compel Agamemnon and Menelaus to irrevocably commit to the War with Troy. Using intrigue, deception, selective interpretation and misinformation, the conspirators convince Agamemnon that Zeus requires the sacrifice of his eldest daughter, Iphigeneia; and that with her sacrifice, the weather conditions will change and the Greek fleet can set sail. At first, as one can well imagine, Agamemnon is horrified at the thought of having to offer up his child as a sacrifice to the gods. Odysseus and the other conspirators determinedly continue to brow-beat and cajole Agamemnon into doing the right thing for Greece and restoring its national honor.

The Greek leaders, in the novel, are really more like a gang of Wall Street CEOs, all trying to exert their own influence and power and looking to acquire more treasure, honor and glory. Morality and principles mean little to nothing to most of them. Unsworth's portrayal of Agamemnon, Menelaus, Odysseus, and Achilles is unflattering at best. These are vain-glorious men who care little for anything or anybody if it doesn't benefit them in the long-run. Unsworth satirically plays off of many of the personality traits that can be gleaned from Homer's portrayal in The Iliad and The Odyssey, or of the later Greek playwrights like Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides. For example, there is Agamemnon, the thuggish control-freak; Menelaus, the weak-willed cuckold; or Odysseus, the clever and manipulative talker; or Achilles, the sulking glory-hound dilettante; or the two Ajaxes, Big and Little, both just brutish homicidal maniacs. The one character that sees through the conspiracy is Calchas, the foreign-born priest of Apollo. He knows that this is all a terrible fabric of lies, but feels powerless to stand up to the conspirators.

In the 'second act' of the book, the conspirators have finally succeeded in convincing Agamemnon that he is really left with no choice, and that he must sacrifice his daughter for the national good. He is told that in the long-run the poets will sing his praises for the courage he showed in reaching this difficult decision. Unsworth even creates the character of a blind bard, or "singer", who the conspirators use to disseminate their lies and misinformation in his songs and poems that recites at the soldiers fires at night. If a story is told a certain way long enough, it becomes true. The conspirators understand the use of the media and religion in getting 'the facts' out there for the masses. Now, the entire army knows that Agamemnon must sacrifice his daughter to propitiate the gods and create the favorable conditions necessary to prosecute the war.

Unsworth also takes the reader back to Mycenae in the novel's 'third act' and spends several chapters introducing and developing the characters of Iphigeneia and her maid-servant, Sisipyla. After getting to know Iphigeneia, the reader can't help but become more and more horrified at the impending doom that seems to face this likeable young woman. I need to mention too that Iphigeneia is also a priestess for the goddess Artemis (the twin sister of Apollo, and goddess of the hunt, wild animals, goddess of childbirth, and the protector of all young living things, animal and human). Iphigeneia has been trained in this role by her mother, Clytemnestra, Agamemnon's wife and the Mycenaean queen. The horror just continues to mount when a delegation from Agamemnon shows up in Mycenae with the news that Iphigeneia must travel to Aulis in order to be married to Achilles. Of course, Clytemnestra and Iphigeneia think this is wonderful news, as Achilles, the son of a goddess (Thetis) is also the champion of the entire Greek army. The reader knows though that this is all just a ruse to get Iphigeneia to Aulis. I felt utterly helpless as I read about this lovely young woman happily packing her wedding trousseau and preparing for the trip to see her father and to meet her betrothed.

You'll have to read the 'last act' of the novel to find out how it ends. There's an intriguing twist that had me holding my breath as I read the last 50 pages of the book. Iphigeneia and her maid, Sisipyla, have arrived in Aulis, and the tension among all of the characters was palpable and thick enough to cut with a bronze sacrificial knife (pun thoroughly intended). At this point in the book, that old adage "the train has left the station" really applies, as things said, and things done are virtually irrevocable at this stage in the plot. This knowledge, on the part of the reader just adds to the theater and drama of Unsworth's tale.

As I read this brilliant little novel there were a couple of observations that jumped out at me. First, this book could have been an almost line-by-line script for the Bush Administration's run up to the war with Iraq. The twisting and manipulation of facts by Odysseus and the other Greek chieftains in the novel eerily reminded me of the "weapons of mass destruction" issue and all of the speeches given by the President and members of his administration as the case for war with Iraq was constructed. Secondly, I think Unsworth is also telling the story of the dangers of religious and gender persecution here. Remember that Iphigeneia is a priestess for the goddess Artemis--an archetypal 'Mother Goddess'. The Greek army's chief priests all serve Zeus, the Father of the gods, and are vocal proponents of the patriarchal system that was becoming widespread across the Bronze Age Mediterranean region. These priests needed to eradicate the last vestiges of the worship of the Mother Goddess and the female deities. By labeling Iphigeneia as a "witch" and then publicly killing her as a priestess of Artemis powerfully symbolized asserting their strength and control.

After making these observations while reading Unsworth's novel, I wondered if I was simply over-reaching and reading more into this than Unsworth intended. I immediately read Euripides' last known play, Iphigeneia at Aulis (probably written about 404-402 B.C.E.). Upon finishing it, I have to say that it is my opinion that Unsworth has done a terrific job in his novel at portraying the pathos, drama, intrigue, and humanity depicted in Euripides' powerful play. Unsworth's novel makes us a party to the conspiracy, makes us feel the overwhelming guilt of a father who knows he is doing wrong, and makes us, in a somewhat voyeuristic fashion, a witness to a victim unwittingly proceeding down the path to her Fate and Destiny. This is a story about decision-making that spirals out of control and the far-reaching consequences that affected not only the primary protagonists, but the Mycenaean empire, Troy and the Trojans, and even reaches out and touches all of us in our own time--i.e., the Iraq War. Like Sophocles' great play, Antigone, Euripides' play and Unsworth's novel are hard-hitting examples of people placed in extraordinary and desperate circumstances requiring moral courage and the adoption and adherence to principled positions. The failure to find that courage or the failure to stand up in the face of tyranny or persecution can have devastating consequences. This, ultimately, is the message of Euripides in his play, Iphigeneia at Aulis, and in Barry Unsworth's beautiful novel, The Songs of Kings.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Certainly an unusual book!! I really liked it. At first I took it as a straight retelling of the Iphigenia on Aulis myth. Then what I'd call "Charlie Brown" expressions, [like the "Peanuts" comic strip]--e.g., 'good grief', 'blockhead', were put into the mouths of the characters. I began to get an inkling the novel was more than it purported to be. The use of modern slang, clichés, and jargon words finally clinched it: this book is a satire on our modern ideas about waging war, politics, and the media, using the myth as the story through which they are 'conceptualized' [to use one of the jargon terms from the novel]. Once I figured out the author's intent, I could see the black humor and began to laugh in places.

The Greek Army [er, Expeditionary Force] has come together at Aulis and because of unfavorable winds, is stuck there. They want to be on their way to conquer Troy. The winds have continued many days, and wily, scheming Odysseus [he's never changed his personality since since Homer first wrote about him] and the royal scribe devise a plan to raise morale in the army, since the army has endured all this delay. [As much as anything, Odysseus wants to hurry to Troy, win the war, and return to rock-bound Ithaca with plunder]. The two gull the politically ambitious head commander, Agamemnon, into believing an interpretation of an omen--favorable to the Greeks of course. However, Iphigenia, Agamemnon's daughter, a priestess of Artemis is to be sacrificed; this will make the winds die down. The Hittite priest, Calchas, wants to get to the bottom of everything and find the truth. Iphigenia is lured to Aulis under false pretenses.

I thought the author's concept and details of the story were clever, as well as the satire. As you read, you can pick out some of the points the author put into the mouths of his characters and how they relate to modern day, as well as to the narrative. The generals and the priest of Zeus were all unpleasant or buffoonish. They bought every lie or twisted half-truth of the slimy Odysseus and his partner. Calchas and Iphigenia's slave girl, Sisipyla, were the only characters I liked. The finale was poignant. I got more than I bargained for with this novel. Reading it was a pleasant surprise. I think you have to be in just the right mood for this book and I was!

Very highly recommended!

[Ferda Nihat Koksoy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Efsanede ve Homeros'ta Truvalı Paris'in Agamemnon'un dillere destan güzel eşini ayartmasıyla çıkan Truva Savaşı'nın gerçek nedenini yazar aşağıdaki paragrafta özetler:

"Odysseus Miken'deki durum hakkında son derece iyi bilgilendirilirdi. Argolis'teki kumaş atölyeleri kapasitelerinin yarısıyla çalışıyorlardı; kap kacak ithalatı aylardır düşük gidiyordu; silah yapımındaki artış, özellikle de Mısır ve Cyrenaica'ya satılan bronz kılıçlar karmaşık yollardan gelen bakır ve kalay ithalatına bağımlıydı; Kıbrıs ve Sardinya Adası'ndan gelen mallarda hava koşulları ve korsanlar yüzünden kayıplar veriyorlardı, bu nedenle hammadde sıkıntısı yaşanıyor, fiyatlar yükseliyordu. Helena'nın bir Troya prensine gönlünü kaptırmasıyla aradığı mükemmel bahaneyi Tanrı göndermişti Agamemnon'a..."

*

"Tanrılar aşağıya bir göz atsalar, gördükleri, Agamemnon'un fetih gücü diye çağırmaktan hoşlandığı bu güruhu parçalayan tüm kanlı anlaşmazlıkların ve husumetin bir şeması ya da planı olarak işlerine yarayabilirdi. Rüzgârın neden olduğu gecikme bu bölünmeleri gün be gün derinleştiriyor, sadakat namına ne varsa gevşetiyor, Kral'ın otoritesini giderek daha da kuşkulu bir hale getiriyordu. Zaten o da bu nedenle bu genel toplantıya, bu ölümüne dövüşe izin vermişti. Böyle bir gösteri adamları bir arada tutacak, en azından bir süreliğine aralarındaki anlaşmazlıkları unutmalarını sağlayacaktı."

"Akhilleus doğuştan katildi. Bu Mikenlilerin çoğu savaşsever ve kabaydılar ama Akhilleus özeldi; boş zamanlarında yaptığı etkinliklerden nasıl hoşlanıyorsa adam öldürmekten de öyle hoşlanıyordu. Son söylediği sözler de açık bir kışkırtmaydı. Akhilleus'la onun kibrine ve kusursuzluğuna hapsolmaktan, durmadan kendi muhteşem varlığını kutladığı tavırlarına tanık olmaktan öte bir yere varılamazdı. O sabah sefere çıkmadan önce kendisi için yaptığı giysilerinden birini giymişti; kısa etekli, kolsuz bir tünik, altın omuzluklar ve onlara uyan bir şapka. Muhteşem bacaklarına parlak bronz koruyucular takmıştı. Üzerindeki gözlerin farkındaydı. Göğsündeki keseden fildişi ve papirüsten yapılmış bir yelpaze çıkartarak, çok yavaşça yelpazelenmeye başladı."

"Ayrıca bunun ahlaki yönü de var" dedi Menelaus. "Bir süredir bunu düşünüyorum. Kendi yüreğimi sorguluyorum. Çok değerli, hatta bir kuğu yumurtasından doğma olduğunu iddia edebilen yaşayan tek kadın olduğu için eşsiz bulduğum Helena'mı Paris kaçırdığı için Troyalılara karşı çok sert olabilirim. Ayrıca Troyalıların Asyalı oldukları da bir gerçek; ama bunu değiştiremezler, öyle değil mi? Pek çoğunun başka bir şey olma şansı olmamış. Demek istediğim onlar orada ve bu duruma saplanıp kalmışlar. Cahiller ve batıl inançlılar, kötü kokular içinde murdar bir yaşamları var, temiz değiller, tanrıları yanlış. Şimdi onları bunlardan kurtarabilir, karanlıklarını aydınlatabiliriz. Demek istediğim, onlardan fersah fersah öndeyiz, özellikle metal işçiliğinde ve mancınık yapımında. Bu insanlara karşı yerine getirmemiz gereken bir görevimiz var. Ülkelerini işgal edip, çıban başlarını susturduktan sonra -savaştan sorumlu olanlara acıma duymaya karşıyım, Paris'i taşaklarından kendi ellerimle asmak gibi bir niyetim var- halkı uygarlaştırmaya ve yaşamlarını değiştirmeye soyunabiliriz. Hiçbir şey buna engel olmamalı. Ben bunu bir görev olarak kabul ediyorum. Odysseus'un yanındayım. İşi şansa bırakamayız."

"(Odysseus) Bu işi kaderle ilişkilendirmeye
başladığımda, sorunu da çözmeye başlamış oldum. O anda bir işaret vermediyse de, direncinin o anda kırılmaya başladığına yemin edebilirim. Evet küçük İphigeneia'mız soylu bir kader düşüncesiyle ilgilenmişti. Dün gece bile biraz olumlu tepki verdi. Ancak doğru bağlantıyı ancak bu sabah kurabildim. İster inan, ister inanma, insanlarını kurtarmanın kendi kaderi olduğunu düşünüyor. Sıkıntıyı üzerine almaya, kefareti ödemeye, dünyanın yanlışlarının kefaretini ödemeye hazır...
Mesih kompleksi."

"Böylece donanma denize açıldı, ordu Troya'ya vardı. Savaş on yıl sürdü. Agamemnon geri döndü ama kızı İphigeneia'nın öcünü almak isteyen annesi Clytemnestra hem kocasını hem de cariyesi Cassandra'yı öldürdü. Savaştan sağ çıkan birinin ömrünü aşmayacak kadar kısa bir zaman sonra Miken'in gücü çöktü, kale ve saray alevlere gömüldü, halkı kılıçtan geçirildi. Krallığın daha sonra bir daha asla kendini toparlayamadığı bu yıkımın Deniz İnsanları adındaki yağmacılar tarafından gerçekleştirildiği söylense de, kim oldukları ve nereden geldikleri hâlâ tartışılır."

[Ray LaManna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a deep retelling of the story of Iphigenia in Aulis by Euripides. You need to know something about Greek mythology and the Trojan War...but the story is humanly told. After you read this book you should read the Oresteia, the trilogy of plays by Aeschylus, describing the events that occurred after Agamemnon returned from his victory over Troy.

[K · Rating 1 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I gave up on this book 20% of the way through.

It was immediately obvious that this wasn't really my style (overly descriptive and deeply strange style of speech), but I really tried to stick with this, because I not very secretly hoped that Clytemnestra would make an appearance. I should have given up when I realized that Unsworth made every character into an obnoxious caricature based on their most easily identifiable characteristic in the Iliad. The final straw for me, though, was when a scribe started complaining about trying to make sure everyone was at a meeting -- specifically that "no one is drunk or out hunting or pillaging or busy raping someone? No good sending out memoranda, none of them can read."

I love the Trojan cycle, but this is definitely not for me.

[Benni · Rating 3 out of 5]

Witty, insightful, cynical, with good points to make.

However, Unsworth's message eclipsed the story elements. Unsworth changes just enough details from the myths/classics such that I found no compelling reason for Odysseus to so specifically suggest the sacrifice of Iphigeneia. Without that core, the story crumbles.

[Marquise · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting retelling of the events leading to the Trojan War until right when the Achaean ships sail from Aulis after Iphigenia's sacrifice, from a perspective I'd not seen done before.

[Elaine · Rating 1 out of 5]

Stupid,weak, arrogant, egotistical men fill this insipid book. However, the underlying story on which this book is based is a classic.

The ancient Greeks thought the Trojan War was a historical event that had taken place in the 13th or 12th century BC.
The Trojan War has its roots in the marriage between Peleus and Thetis, a sea-goddess. Peleus and Thetis had not invited Eris, the goddess of discord, to their marriage and the outraged goddess stormed into the wedding banquet and threw a golden apple onto the table. The apple belonged to, Eris said, whomever was the fairest.Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite each reached for the apple. Zeus proclaimed that Paris, prince of Troy and thought to be the most beautiful man alive, would act as the judge.Hermes went to Paris, and Paris agreed to act as the judge. Hera promised him power, Athena promised him wealth, and Aphrodite promised the most beautiful woman in the world.Paris chose Aphrodite, and she promised him that Helen, wife of Menelaus9king of Sparta), would be his wife. Paris then prepared to set off for Sparta to capture Helen. Twin prophets Cassandra and Helenus tried to persuade him against such action.In Sparta, Menelaus, husband of Helen, treated Paris as a royal guest. However, when Menelaus left Sparta to go to a funeral, Paris abducted Helen (who perhaps went willingly) and also carried off much of Menelaus' wealth.In Troy, Helen and Paris were married. This occured around 1200 B.C.
Homer took for granted that his audience knew a war had been fought for what was alternately called Ilios or Troy. The close of the eighth century B.C., the period when scholars generally agree Homer composed his epic. Because Homer performed and sang he is called a bard. He is thought to have been blind, and so is known as the blind bard.
Menalaus's brother, Agamemnon, king of Mycenae, led the 1000 ships to wage war on Troy and get Helen back but were held up at Aulis because to wind. Iphigeneia, age 14, Agamemnon's beloved daughter. A priestess of Artimus. Sacrificed to stop the wind.
Helen was hatched from a swan egg after mother Leda fell for Zeus's charms.
Agamemnon's first act as king had been to slaughter Tantalus and take Clytemnestra as his queen and also killed her baby son.
Iphigeneia, age 14, Agamemnon's beloved daughter. A priestess of Artimus.Electra was her younger sister.Orestes the younger brother. Sacrificed to stop he wind.
Aegishus, Agamemnons cousin, Clytemnestra's lover
Perseus killed Meduasa by not looking directly at her but used his shield as a mirror.
Arteus, father of Agamemnon and Menalaus. Killed his brother's three children and served them in a stew to his brother.
Acilles's lover was Patroclus
Anthemoesa was home of the Sirens.
Greek tale of Jason and the Golden Fleece has been told for 3,000 years. It's a classic hero's quest tale - a sort of ancient Greek mission impossible - in which the hero embarks on a sea voyage into an unknown land, with a great task to achieve. He is in search of a magical ram's fleece, which he has to find in order to reclaim his father's kingdom of Iolkos from the usurper King Pelias (Jason's uncle).included Hercules.This fleece was the skin of a golden ram which hung in a sacred grove, guarded by a dragon, at the far end of the earth. The hero Jason was given the task of winning the fleece, and he entreated the aid of the other Greeks. He was helped by all the celebrated heroes of the past, including Orpheus and Hercules.

These heroes,included Hercules, fifty in number, were called the Argonauts, because they sailed with Jason in the ship Argo. After many adventures they reached the land of the fleece; and here Jason was aided by the king's daughter, Medea, who was a mighty sorceress. She charmed and then drugged the dragon, so that she and Jason escaped with the treasured prize. Being pursued by Medea's father and his followers, the heroes fled in the Argo and sailed onward. They kept following the coast-line, until at length they encircled the world, that is, the world of Europe as the ancients knew it, and in this manner got back to Greece, having been the first men to see all the wonders of the world.

The later fate of both Jason and Medea was tragic. He deserted her, and she in revenge slew their children. Then, according to one form of the story, she persuaded him to sleep under the shade of the old, rotting hull of the Argo, so that its timbers fell on him, and the ship which had been his glory caused his death.





The story is a set a generation before the time of the Trojan War, around 1300 BC, but the first known written mention of it comes six centuries later, in the age of Homer (800 BC). The tale came out of the region of Thessaly, in Greece, where early epic poetry developed. The Greeks have retold and reinterpreted it many times since, changing it as their knowledge of the physical world increased.
No one knows for sure where the earliest poets set the adventure, but by 700 BC the poet Eumelos set the tale of the Golden Fleece in the kingdom of Aia, a land that at the time was thought to be at the eastern edge of the world. At this point the Jason story becomes fixed as an expedition to the Black Sea. The most famous version, penned by Apollonius of Rhodes, who was head of the library at Alexandria, was composed in the third century BC, after the invasion of Asia by Alexander the Great


Beware of Greeks bearing gifts! That old saying refers to the legend of the Trojan Horse.

[Sophie Nguyen]

i’m actually appalled at how gay this book is, is anyone else reading this???

[Marian · Rating 2 out of 5]

The writing style simply didn't hit for me. I had a hard time parsing who was narrating at any giving time, it felt like it would shift without clear indicators.

[Tracy Griffin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like the retelling. But I was a little disappointed. There were some mentions of Helen. And book did not put me in Troy.
The song miss the rhythm.

[James Burns · Rating 4 out of 5]

The face that launched a thousand ships, Helen of (Sperta)Troy, or could the real face that launched a thousand ships belong to Iphigeneia, beloved daughter of King Agamemnon? This the Story of the Trojan war, The Greek fleet is trapped in the straits at Aulis by a strong wind that was unfavorable to set sail to Troy, deniying the Greeks of plundering of great fortunes, and battle fame and Victory. The Men are layed up Idle, Tempers and nerves frayed to the breaking point. Inner tribe fighting threatening the disbandonment of the Army. In an Attempt to keep the plans for attacking Troy a reality, Odyyseus of Ithaca concocts a plan to placate the discotented Army and unifying them under the precept of arrainging A human Sacrifice of an innocent victim to appease Zeus king of the Greek gods, to cease the prevailing winds, the beloved daughter of King Agememnom of Mycenae. Will Agamemnom Fall Prey to the deceipt and political pressure, Will he Sacrifice His daughter even though the winds had already gone silent or will he will he save her from death.

This is a beautifully interwoven story blending the present (during the time period) with the stories of past history and legend of Perseus, Hercules and Jason. It started out slow for me, it was like reading Moby Dick, then it started ending like The Tale of Two Cities, Then your left wandering aroung looking for the truth

[Jrobertus · Rating 4 out of 5]

The song of the kings, by Barry Unsworth., read by Andrew Sachs. This is a retelling of the play Iphigenia at Aulis, by Euripides. The Greek army under Agamemnon is trapped at Aulis by a high wind. There is a lot of plotting by Odysseus and a seer Calchas to undermine the king. A sign, including an eagle killing a pregnant hare, is interpreted to mean there is trouble between Zeus and Demeter (protector of mothers) and that to remove the curse and allow the fleet to sail to Troy, Agamemnon must sacrifice is daughter Iphigenia. Unsworth creates, or interprets, some wonderful characters: the scheming Odysseus, proud Achilles, and the comic relief of the two Ajaxes. The reader is fabulous; he brings each character uniquely to life. This is a fun and interesting take on the classic story.

[Beatrice Gormley · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Songs of the Kings retells the part of the Iliad in which Agamemnon and his troops are waiting for the wind to change so they can sail across the Aegean Sea to Troy, supposedly to kill Paris and get Helen back, but actually to loot the prosperous city and get rich. If what it takes to please the gods and change the wind is sacrificing the king's daughter, well, that's what it takes. Unsworth has an entertaining take on each of the Greek "heroes," and he writes vividly and confidently about the society and setting of ancient Greece. In spite of the grim subject, a compelling story with a satisfying ending.

[Melody · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars in terms of ideas, but the author's stylistic choices weaken a pretty solid story.

Recently, I finished Colm Tóibín's House of Names, a retelling of the Greek tragedy of the House of Atreus, which starts with (spoiler!) Agamemnon's decision to sacrifice his daughter Iphigenia prior to sailing his army to Troy. In this book, Barry Unsworth interprets the events leading to that conclusion, a story apparently far less heroic than the bards would have us believe...

One story line follows the wily Odysseus, more devious a character here than we are used to seeing in adaptations. With the help of Agamemnon's advisors, he plays the consummate politician, orchestrating events from behind the scenes with unrepentant glee. Whatever the jargon may have been back then, Odysseus and his cohorts helpfully provide us with 21st century terminology to illustrate what they aspire to do or not do (e.g. 'neutralize', 'marginalize', delegitimize', 'incentivize'), but I found the anachronistic choices to be more jarring than effective, because they were inconsistently applied. Odysseus' story line, as well as the proto-Olympic side plot of the two Ajaxes, were sly and contained a lot of meta references that were admittedly thought-provoking, but they composed only about half of the narrative.

Agamemnon's foreign-born diviner, Calchas, and Iphigenia's slave-girl Sisipyla were the other major point of view characters. The language in their chapters were markedly different (certainly more period-appropriate) and lacked such 'clever' devices. Calchas' eventual fall from grace even as Odysseus' star was (secretly) rising was a tragic thing to see, especially as he served as a kind of Cassandra-esque figure whose efforts to get the king to consider a less brutal alternative were increasingly ignored. By virtue of her role, Sisipyla, meanwhile, lacked agency for much of the story. Her loyalty to the princess is underpinned by intelligence, but also a situational awareness the former is unable to see or appreciate. In the end she too is unable to prevent the fatal outcome. Calchas and Sisipyla are intrinsically sympathetic characters, but the contrasting tone of their narratives compared to the wink-wink-nudge-nudge humor of Odysseus et al is to the detriment of both story lines - two halves that don't neatly fit into a whole.

This book had some great ideas, it really did. But I feel like it would have been so much better if the author had committed to a style rather than teetering between a satire of modern values and a straight reimagining of the legend the story is based on. The intention appears to have been to draw a line between the two as a kind of commentary on how mankind was as susceptible to the same pressures of political machinations and media manipulations then as it is today. But in the end, the book suffers for being neither truly as funny/satirical nor as poignant as it could have been.

[V. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading this book during the political climate we found ourselves in today, it’s hard not to contextualize it with the severe divide and rabid partisanship that dominates the news. It is full of decisions made for the sake of power, whether attempting to seize it or maintain it, and almost always devoid of logic.
I wish I had a better memory of the classics from which the story draws - The Iliad and The Odyssey, for example - but the characters are familiar enough: proud and vain Achilles, silver tongued trickster Odysseus, the beleaguered and gullible King Agamemnon.
And it’s set on the doorstep of the battle of Troy, as Menelaus plots with comrades to retrieve his beautiful Helen who has been kidnapped, so he maintains, by Paris. Of course, there are many spoils to be had by those who have signed on to help the endeavors. But first the forces must free themselves of an unceasing wind that keeps them from sailing - a wind sent by Zeus for some vague - and contrived - offense made by Agamemnon’s daughter, a priestess to the Goddess Artemis.
The machinations of these men is exhausting and infuriating. They drink intrigue and breathe subterfuge. There are so many changes in points of view that it is sometimes challenging to follow who is screwing over whom. The perceived slights, the casual cruelty, the bruised egos .... it’s a lot to wade through.
The story becomes more interesting to me when it leaves the wind-trapped armies in the straits of Aulis for the land of Mycenae, homeland of King Agamemnon. There we’re introduced to his daughter, the dutiful Iphigenia and her loyal handmaid, an enslaved girl named Sisipyla. That relationship, forged when the latter was given like some living doll to the former, is complicated and beautiful. It is that hook that kept me reading to the end when Iphigenia sails to Aulis to meet her fate.

Technically, I’d give this one 3 1/2 stars if I could.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Songs of the Kings was one of the two choices to be read together for my book club; the other, Silence of the Girls. Together, they were said to form a women’s and men’s eye retelling of the Trojan Wars. I found great differences in the quality of the writing, and the emphasis, but in the end, the ‘glory’ of this war could perhaps be summed up in the final line from The Song of the Kings that spoke of how things were later considered:

“But all this was much later, when sensibilities and habits of thought had changed, and it was no longer considered desirable that such an ugly thing as the sacrifice of the innocent for the sake of prosecuting a war should feature in the songs of the kings.”

Silence of the Girls stresses the use of and subordination of women, their objectification. The Songs of the Kings focuses on the sacrifice of one woman who rejects her own rescue for the good the state. Both books as well as the Trojan story as retold, can’t be simplified so easily. This book is also a great love story between Achilles and Patroclus. It is a story not of the love between Helen and Menelaus, but of his wounded pride, of his countrymen’s offended pride that leads to endless war.

The Songs of the Kings more on the use of a sacrifice to the gods to get favorable winds, but on the part of some of the men, to gain power.

In both, all is lost.

Worth reading as a set that tells a gritty backstory for the heroic tale that one suspected forever also had dark sides.

[Ursula · Rating 5 out of 5]

The focus of this story is the complex intersection of myth, song, politics, manipulation, religion, priesthood, sacrifice, truth and kingship. Barry Unsworth examines the quandary King Agamemnon was in when his avenging expeditionary force lacked the wind needed to sail to Troy. He analyses the situation, personalities and motivations from the perspective of many different players in Mycenae and on the shore. We meet Menelaus, Odysseus, Iphigenia, Achilles, Ajax, Clytemnestra, Nestor and many more. All are much more faceted and intricate than the familiar characters in the legends related by Homer. The ways in which Odysseus and others persuade less forceful, less cynical and less sophisticated characters is certainly an eye-opener.

This story gains from its deliberately limited scope. Rather than retelling the whole saga of the beginning of the Trojan War, the writer starts when the Greek fleet is already assembled and waiting for a change of wind; it finishes as soon as the weather improves. His account of the tense atmosphere, jangled nerves and morale of the men is fascinating. He even creates a suspenseful story where the reader becomes increasingly unsure of the true outcome. Masterful!

[Hilary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Think of a government full of clowns and just one or two clever politicians deploying spin tactics to further their own greed and lust for power. Imagine a policy which is ultimately entirely destructive, but which has found favour with the masses thanks to persuadable public media. Not much imagination required, right? But Barry Unsworth, writing in 2002, before the current spate of retelling of Greek myths in novels, takes us back in time to the start of the Trojan war with powerful political themes which resonate so strongly today. This is a work of prescient genius. And a sad indictment on human life - it was ever thus. Brilliantly written - funny, dark, tragic - The Song of the Kings is a riveting tale of the Greek army stuck at Aulis and the sacrifice of Iphigenia, cleverly peopled with both new and well-known characters.

[Josh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Barry Unsworth does it again with this witty and profound retelling of Euripides' 'Iphigenia in Aulis'.

Written against the backdrop of the illegal and unsupportable war against Iraq, this novel cleverly uses the classical source material as a vehicle to explore ideas about the political expediency of war as a way to serve privileged interest groups who see conflict as a way to further their own political and economic power, no matter what the moral and human costs.

This is also a clever examination of the age old manipulation of the media (here represented by the Singer) as a way to hoodwink a gullible public to get behind policies which, in reality, are utterly reprehensible.

Imagine a mash-up of Armando Iannucci and Greek tragedy and you'll pretty much get the idea of the tone and content here.

This novel is (as Odysseus would no doubt opine) 'brilliant'.

[Stephen Lewis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened to this book to wash out the remains of Dan Simmons' Illium. It didn't do that, but made me rather sad thinking about the superstitions and other mumbo jumbo (as they seem to me anyway) of so much of life here in modern Asia. We can't say it was only in ancient times that people looked for signs and omens. Today we still have nonsense like I don't know if rhino horn or dried tiger's penis will make me more or less potent - so I might as well eat some... I'm at a loss how some ancient Greeks lived and so many modern Asians live their lives like that. I'm thinking of getting out less.

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

With vivid imagery, Unsworth wraps the old tale with humor. Again and again I laughed reading The Songs of Kings. The book plays with Ancient Greek tales and contemporary politics and religion. He has jokes about Homer and Odysseus, but also obliquely mocks Judeo-Christian ideals and the logic of the machinations of war. Again and again, I felt like this book explains the illogical Trump and the masses that enable him. It also reminds me of Arthur Miller's "The Crucible."
Beyond the clever humor and philosophy, the book has compassion for humans. For stories. For dirt and sweat. For doubt and complexity. I may have to read all of Unsworth's books.

[Kara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Facts are manipulated and fictions are made real by repetition. Those without power are told of the great sacrifices they have to make while those with power sacrifice nothing, only concerned with how much wealth they can amass in shady deals.

No, this book isn't set in the 21st century - this is a retelling of The Iliad, focusing just on a particularly horrific act that took place early on in the Trojan War. The characters talk in a modern, slangy style that works as Unsworth cuts through all the layers of dust and myth to get at the devious beating heart of the humans in this tale.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is actually more like 3.5 stars. There is a lot to like about this book, but it is very much of its time -- 2002, the outset of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan -- and it's written with a sort of archness that feels grating and a bit dated twenty years later. And honestly I can go the rest of my life without reading an old man's description of a young woman's naked body, please.

But I am a sucker for retellings of Greek tragedies and this one was pretty good. The Iraq war analogy is apt and holds up. And in spite of the sort of aloof humor that pervades most of the book, I found myself shocked and horrified by the ending even though I knew exactly what was going to happen.

[Hazel MacLean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oops, read another Barry Unsworth. I just can't stop myself! Another good one, this time the myth of Iphenia and the Greeks leaving for Troy. Great perspective on why so many would go to Troy, what it takes to keep an army together, and the views of high and low-born women. It has the right ending.

One thing I like about Barry Unsworth is being transported to the time and the place. In this case there were numerous phrases and references that didn't make sense for the setting ("That kind of thing looks great on a CV..."). I understood this was for comedic effect but puts it at 4 rather than 5 stars for me as I prefer his other more immersive style. Still would recommend.

[Rasha · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wasn't exactly blown away by this book.  It was certainly interesting in that it showed the event of Agamemnon's sacrifice of his daughter from multiple view points.  Bu there was something about it that bothered me, mostly the way Odysseus talked. Granted, there is no pretence that the prose conforms to a modernisation of how we believed they would speak, but some of the terminology was so glaringly modern (like refering to someone's CV) that it took me out of the story altogether to say "What the...?"

All I can say is that it was interesting read and let's just leave it at that...

[Kaye Arnold · Rating 3 out of 5]

Can't say I ever imagined I would get through an entire book set in the days of Greek gods! This book surprised me, in that I quite enjoyed it. I don't have much background knowledge regarding Greek mythology, so I struggled a bit with who was who. However, the book had a good storyline, which involved human sacrifice.....and goats.... It had moments of humour that were appreciated by me - witty bits do that. So I give a three out of five. I'm glad I got through it, and I didn't think I would initially!

[Ella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Was The Song of Achilles too full of likable characters for your Troy-related tastes? Did House of Names give you a hunger for more novels about the House of Atreus? Did you get angry with and also fascinated by the Eleusis episode in The King Must Die? Is judicious use of anachronism one of your favorite literary devices?
If you answered yes to one or more of these questions, this might just be the book for you.

[Derek Bridge · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a retelling of the legend of the sacrifice of Iphigeneia with some of the psychology of the characters sketched in. But there is a thread that connects it all: it's all about the stories we tell to convince ourselves and others of our motives. "Spin" at both a personal and public level are shown to be part of our innate psychology.