PRAISE FOR GLYN ILIFFE
‘The world of this novel appears as many scholars see that of Homer: a rich melange of different eras … It has suspense, treachery and bone-crunching action … It will leave fans of the genre eagerly awaiting the rest of the series’
Harry Sidebottom,
author of the best selling Warrior of Rome series
‘Iliffe is a talented storyteller’
Times Literary Supplement
‘A ripping swords-and-sandals treatment of The Iliad’
The Telegraph
‘A thrilling adventure full of bloody battles, vibrant characters and the heart-stopping romance that makes ancient Greece so universally appealing. Dazzling drama on a grand scale’
Lancashire Evening Post
‘A must read for those who enjoy good old epic battles, chilling death scenes and the extravagance of ancient Greece’
Lifestyle Magazine
‘The reader does not need to be a classicist by any means to enjoy this epic and stirring tale. It makes a great novel and would be an even better film’
Historical Novels Review
‘Another gripping and thrilling tale from the new demi-god of the genre, one which fans will relish getting stuck into’
The Catholic Herald
THE ORACLES OF TROY
Glyn Iliffe studied English and Classics at Reading University, where he developed a passion for the stories of ancient Greek mythology. Well travelled, Glyn has visited nearly forty countries, trekked in the Himalayas, spent six weeks hitchhiking across North America and had his collarbone broken by a bull in Pamplona.
He is married with two daughters and lives in Leicestershire. King of Ithaca was his first novel, followed by The Gates of Troy and The Armour of Achilles. He is currently working on the fifth book in the series, The Voyage of Odysseus.
1st Kindle Edition
Copyright © Glyn Iliffe 2013
The Author asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work
All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers.
This book is a work of fiction. It has been written for entertainment purposes only. All references to characters and countries should be seen in this light.
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Also by Glyn Iliffe
King of Ithaca
The Gates of Troy
The Armour of Achilles
Visit www.glyniliffe.com to read more about
The Adventures of Odysseus.
GLYN ILIFFE
THE ORACLES
OF TROY
FOR TABITHA
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
As ever, I am grateful to my wife, Jane, for her patience and encouragement.
My thanks also go to Richard Sheehan, Steven A McKay, Maureen Corderoy, Deven Kanal, Jane Davies, Kevin Marlow and Bruce Villas for their proof reading skills and improvements to the original text.
CONTENTS
Glossary
Book One
1. Lemnos
2. Philoctetes
3. Heracles
4. Reconciliation and Healing
5. The Eye of Apollo
6. Nisus of Dulichium
7. Helenus
8. The Return of the Outcast
9. Death in the Morning
Book Two
10. A Way Out
11. A Widow’s Fate
12. In Apheidas’s House
13. The Oracles of Troy
14. The Legend of Pelops
15. The Golden Vine
16. Pelop’s Tomb
17. The Maze
18. The Guardian of the Tomb
19. Eurypylus Arrives
20. Neoptolemus
21. The Greeks at Bay
22. The Shadow of Achilles
23. Neoptolemus and Eurypylus
Book Three
24. The Kerosia
25. Prisoner of Apheidas
26. An Unwelcome Visitor
27. An Ultimatum
28. Odysseus Unmasked
29. Temptations of the Flesh
30. Unexpected Help
31. The Palladium
32. The Insanity of Kings
33. Hope out of Defeat
Book Four
34. The Wooden Horse
35. Cassandra’s Woe
36. Voices From Home
37. The Gate Falls
38. Inside the Palace
39. Helen and Menelaus
40. Love and Vengeance
41. At the Temple of Zeus
42. The Snake Pit
43. The Rape of Cassandra
44. Ambition’s End
45. At the Ships
46. The Last King of Troy
47. The Dead Child
Author's Note
GLOSSARY
A
Achilles
–
Myrmidon prince, killed by Paris
Aeneas
–
Dardanian prince, the son of Anchises
Agamemnon
–
king of Mycenae, leader of the Greeks
Ajax (greater)
–
king of Salamis, killed himself after being sent mad by the gods
Ajax (lesser)
–
king of Locris
Alybas
–
home city of Eperitus, in northern Greece
Anchises
–
king of the Dardanians, allies of Troy
Andromache
–
wife of Hector
Antenor
–
Trojan elder
Anticleia
–
Odysseus’s mother
Antinous
–
Ithacan noble, son of Eupeithes
Antiphus
–
Ithacan guardsman
Apheidas
–
Trojan commander, father of Eperitus
Aphrodite
–
goddess of love
Apollo
–
archer god, associated with music, song and healing
Arceisius
–
Ithacan soldier, murdered by Apheidas
Ares
–
god of war
Artemis
–
moon-goddess associated with childbirth, noted for her virginity and vengefulness
Astyanax
–
infant son of Hector and Andromache
Astynome
–
daughter of Chryses, a priest of Apollo
Astyoche
–
daughter of Priam and mother of Eurypylus
Athena
–
goddess of wisdom and warfare
Aulis
–
sheltered bay in the Euboean Straits
C
Calchas
–
priest of Apollo, adviser to Agamemnon
Cassandra
–
Trojan princess, daughter of Priam
Clymene
–
servant to Apheidas and mother of Palamedes
Clytaemnestra
–
queen of Mycenae and wife of Agamemnon
D
Dardanus
–
city to the north of Troy
Deidameia
–
mother of Neoptolemus and widow of Achilles
Deiphobus
–
Trojan prince, younger brother of Hector and Paris
Demeter
–
goddess of agriculture
Diocles
–
Spartan soldier
Diomedes
–
king of Argos
E
Elpenor
–
Ithacan soldier
Epaltes
–
Argive soldier
Epeius
–
Greek craftsman and notorious coward
Eperitus
–
captain of Odysseus’s guard