 | |
| Author | Mary Renault |
|---|---|
| Cover artist | Eric Carle |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Historical novel |
| Publisher | Longmans (UK) Pantheon Books (US) |
Publication date | 1958 |
| Publication place | South Africa |
| Media type | Print (Paperback) |
| Pages | 352 p. (Vintage edition)338 p. (Modern edition) |
| ISBN | 0-394-75104-3 |
| OCLC | 15595010 |
| 823/.912 19 | |
| LC Class | PR6035.E55 K56 1988 |
| Followed by | The Bull from the Sea |
The King Must Die is a 1958 bildungsroman and historical novel by Mary Renault that traces the early life and adventures of Theseus, a hero in Greek mythology. It is set in locations throughout Ancient Greece: Troizen, Corinth, Eleusis, Athens, Knossos in Crete, and Naxos. Renault wrote a sequel, The Bull from the Sea, in 1962.
A primary theme of the book is the contrast between the advanced but enervated civilisation of Minoan Crete and the assertive developing societies of mainland Greece.