Justinian
was the first straight historical novel from the mind of SF author Harry
Turtledove. The novel sold
well enough that Turtledove, again writing under the pseudonym “H.N.
Turteltaub” has published a second historical novel, Over the Wine-Dark
Sea, which promises to be only the first in a series of novels about
two Rhodian cousins living in the fourth century BCE.
Sailing from Rhodes of the merchant ship Aphrodite
with a cargo of wine, silks and peafowl, the cousins Menedemos and
Sostrates provide a reader with a tour of Greece and Italy in the year 310
BCE. This period allows
Turteltaub to depict both the internecine squabbling of the successors to
Alexander the Great and the rise of Rome during the period of the Second
Samnite War. With all the conflict Turteltaub can draw upon, it is
surprising how little combat Menedemos and Sostrates experience. Rather than focus his attention of the martial activities,
Turteltaub provides a glimpse into Hellenic culture.
The two major characters, between whom the viewpoint
alternates throughout the novel, are very different from each other.
Menedemos is always looking for physical gratification, although he
understands the meaning of duty and performs admirably as the captain of
the Aphrodite. His cousin is
given over to more intellectual pursuits, reciting from Thucydides and
Herodotus and trying to understand how an historian thinks.
Although the men are only shown in a familial setting for short
periods at the beginning and end of the novel, it is also clear that their
family lives are as different as their personalities.
What doesn’t ring true about their relationship is how quickly
they bristle at each other and feel the need to walk softly in each
others’ presence despite their closeness.
Over the Wine-Dark Sea takes its time in
getting started, and maintains its leisurely pace throughout. The trade mission the Aphrodite is on seems to be a reason to
provide a tour of the Mediterranean world from Rhodes to Pompeii and
Syracuse, but there is little sense of purpose aside from that. Fortunately, Turteltaub is able to bring to life the various
cities his two sailors meet, although in many cases it would be nice if
they could have spent more time exploring the cities to give a better feel
for the differences between settled Greek cities, Greek colonies and Roman
cities on the rise.
Throughout the novel, Greek concepts and phrases are
scattered. Although their
meaning is usually apparent from the context, there are a few places where
context fails and the reader just has to accept the term without knowing
exactly what is meant. At
other times, even the context isn’t enough, since the importance of the
concept is merely hinted at without an explanation for its importance,
which, of course, the characters fully understand, but the reader may not.
For all its lack of driving plot, Over the Wine-Dark Sea is a
compelling story which presents a look at the culture of Greece at a time
when it still held the reins of power in the Mediterranean, although its
potential successors were already visible throughout the region.
Turtledove's knowledge of the period and his ability to present it to the
reader without seeming to preach further heighten the appeal of the book.
