Pericles the Athenian

Pericles the Athenian purports to be a memoir by the philosopher Anaxagoras, Pericles' friend, confidante, and former tutor. Unfortunately it is a dry account, containing no dialogue, and in large part it reads far more like an ordinary history book than a work of historical fiction. Warner neglects the opportunity to spark Pericles into vivid, imaginative, three-dimensional life that the genre provides. Neither Pericles nor his supposed biographer, Anaxagoras, ever really lift off the page.

Rex Warner was a brilliant scholar and a fine writer. On the heels of his outstanding Young Caesar and Imperial Caesar, Pericles the Athenian is a disappointment. It is well written, intelligent and erudite, but it lacks colour, energy and interest. For the casual reader looking for an introduction to Pericles it is a dull book best avoided.