Dedication

For Bret Easton Ellis,

whose generosity will never cease to warm my heart; and for Paul Edward McGloin,

muse and Maecenas,

who is the dearest friend I will ever have in this world.

I enquire now as to the genesis of a philologist and assert the following:

1. A young man cannot possibly know what Greeks and Romans are.

2. He does not know whether he is suited for finding out about them.

—FRIEDRICH NIETZSCHE,

Unzeitgemässe Betrachtungen

Come then, and let us pass a leisure hour in storytelling, and our story shall be the education of our heroes.

—PLATO,

Republic, BOOK II

Contents

Cover

Title Page

Copyright

Dedication

Epigraph

Prologue

Book I

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Book II

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Epilogue

Acknowledgments