Alcibiades

About the Book

Is he just a troublemaker with an attitude? Or will this spunky youth grow up to do something great? The populace of Athens holds varied opinions about Alcibiades, a handsome boy who exhibits a devious and audacious personality.

Based on historical record, author Jack Meyer reconstructs the life of Alcibiades, a man who uniquely impacted classical Athens during the Peloponnesian War. An orphan, Alcibiades grew up in the household of Pericles, was Socrates’ favorite student, and was immensely handsome and rich. This narrative tells the story of the stunning career of this brilliant tactical military commander, persuasive orator, and consummate traitor who switched sides three times during the war. The city’s own favorite son, this product of the Golden Age, was a man as morally corrupt as he was convincingly eloquent.

The reconstruction of Alcibiades’ story breeds both fiction and farce, and this story of the Greek experience serves as an analogue for a critique of today’s American foreign policy.

About the Author

Jack Meyer is an unaffiliated freelance writer living in Green Bay, Wisconsin. His prior works include The Odyssey of the Western Spirit: From Scarcity to Abundance and Alcibiades: A Play in Three Acts.