The boy Metiochos was left behind that day when his father galloped across the plain to answer an urgent plea to rule in the distant Chersonese. But the two were destined to meet again, many times, before their final meeting on the plain at Marathon.

This is the story of Metiochos, son of the Greek general Miltiades; a boy who was raised in Athens and whom fate was to make governor of a province in Persia and a favorite to the Great King Darius. As his story develops, Metiochos' relationship with his father and with Darius come into focus. His conflicting emotions reflect the greater conflict of two superior civilizations when they meet head on. The events of Metiochos' life, from his earliest days when he learned politics at the wily hand of Cleon to his later years when he married the niece of Darius and ruled peacefully over a foreign land, seemed to lead him directly to the moment when he must make his final choice.

Now the two armies, Athenian and Persian, face each other across the plain, the blazing heat of the Mediterranean sun reflecting on their shields and helmets. The horn sounds, the battle begins—and Metiochos rises to meet his fate.

Olivia Coolidge's skill at weaving original tales around mythical and ancient figures was firmly established with THE KING OF MEN, the story of Agamemnon. She now creates a fictional account of the Battle of Marathon, bringing into play people and issues that will not easily be forgotten.

From the dust jacket