The King Must Die
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The King Must Die
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First published in 1958, The King Must Die is Mary Renault’s imaginative retelling of the myth of Theseus, the legendary hero of ancient Athens. Narrated by Theseus himself, the novel follows his journey from childhood in Troizen through the sacred rites of Eleusis and the dangerous road to Athens, before carrying him to Crete, where he joins the young captives destined for the bull-dance and confronts the Minotaur. Along the way, Renault brings familiar figures such as Ariadne into a richly realised world of kings, priestesses, ritual and political power.
Drawing on archaeological discoveries and ancient traditions, Renault gives myth the texture of lived experience, exploring the origins of heroism, the demands of leadership, the force of belief and the uneasy relationship between human lives and divine will. Her Theseus is not simply a figure of legend, but a young man shaped by loyalty, desire, courage and uncertainty. The first of her two novels about Theseus, followed by The Bull from the Sea, it is among Renault’s finest achievements in historical fiction.
From the book
“The Citadel of Troizen, where the Palace stands, was built by giants before anyone remembers.”
— Mary Renault, The King Must Die
On The King Must Die
“The ancient world of myth and legend takes on the trappings of living history.”
— Kirkus Reviews