Sailing the Wine Dark Sea - An Interview with Author, Glyn Iliffe

I've got a real treat for everyone this week. 

Over the years, I've read a lot of historical fiction/fantasy novels set in the ancient world. I've enjoyed most of them, but there is one series of books that makes me say 'Yes! That's how it's done!'

I first picked up King of Ithaca while roaming my public library's stacks looking for some new fiction. I thought the take on Odysseus' well-known story sounded intriguing, so I took it home and gave it a try. 

I'm so glad I did! It's one of the best historical fantasy novels I have EVER read (and I don't say that lightly). The male and female characters were so real, the world of Mycenaean Greece so vivid, that I was just drawn into the tale. From there, I went on to devour the other books. 

And now, there is a new book in the series entitled, The Oracles of Troy. 

Today I'm very happy to have author Glyn Iliffe on Writing the Past to talk about history, writing, and the fantastic world of The Adventures of Odysseus. 

WP: What got you interested in historical fiction in the first place? Was it a particular book?

GI: Writing historical fiction is just a marriage of two of my favourite things: writing and history. I’ve wanted to be an author since primary school. Nothing else appealed then or has since. The love of history comes from my dad. He was in the army before I was born, but he had shelves full of books about military history. I read these enthusiastically and it’s probably still my preferred branch of history to this day, even ahead of ancient Greece. In my younger days I was more a fantasy fiction fan (Tolkien and Edgar Rice Burroughs were top of my list), but I still remember the first histfic novel I read was The Happy Return by C S Forester. As far as characters go, Hornblower is a masterpiece.

WP: You really bring a place to life in your writing. Have you travelled to all the places you have written about, and how important do you think travelling is for writing historical fiction/fantasy?

GI: I’ve travelled to most of them - Ithaca, the Peloponnese, Mycenae, Delphi and so on - and I found it a real help to get an understanding of the lay of the land. But it still needs a lot of imagination to describe these places as they might have appeared in the Bronze Age. One difficulty is that the Trojan War occurred a very long time ago and the geography, flora, fauna and weather have changed somewhat in the three thousand or so years since then. The great bay in front of Troy silted up hundreds of years ago, for example. Another issue is that I’m trying to recreate the mythological/historical world described by Homer. If you read his descriptions of Troy you get the impression of a vast city housing many thousands of people. He fills you with a sense of awe. The actual site of Troy, though, is quite small and doesn’t lend much to the imagination. So I tend to exaggerate all the towns and cities I describe to give them the glory and majesty they would have been viewed with at the time. If I didn’t most modern readers would be a little underwhelmed.

WP: There are so many larger-than-life characters in the Iliad and Odyssey. What made you pick Odysseus from among the rest?

GI: Several reasons, all of them good. The original plan was to tell the story of the Trojan War in its entirety, from cause to conclusion. It wasn’t intended to be a series about one character, I just wanted to help people form a wider and deeper understanding of the whole tapestry of myths rather than the best known elements such as Helen of Troy, Achilles and the Trojan Horse. As with most series, though, I needed a character to tell the story through. Odysseus was the best choice for this. He was there when Helen was married, he was one of the key players throughout the ten years of the war and - very importantly - Homer gives him an epic poem all to himself for his journey home. No other character is present for the whole thirty-year span of the Trojan myth cycle. Besides that, he’s more complex than the likes of Agamemnon, Ajax or Achilles: a lowly king who has to work hard to earn his place at the top table; a thinker, schemer, orator and a warrior with more depth than some of his glory-seeking peers; a family man driven reluctantly from his home into a war he doesn’t want to fight; a character of dubious morality and yet somehow more humane than his contemporaries. All in all, with his strengths and weaknesses he is much more “modern” than the other Homeric characters, and that is key to engaging the reader.

WP: Academia often frowns on the popularization of history through movies, books and other media. How do you reconcile your academic background with your writing?

GI: Greek mythology carries a lot of baggage. On the one hand there’s a good deal of snobbery about it. I’ve had feedback from people on Amazon who are disappointed that I don’t take a high-brow approach to these stories. That doesn’t bother me, as I want my books to be accessible to anyone, not just those people who love ancient Greece. The most important thing is the story itself, and that’s where academic criticism falls down. Like all mythology, the original tales were designed to convey essential messages about the real world in a format that was engaging and entertaining. If I aimed my books at the academic level I think I’d be missing the true essence of what these myths are about.

On the other hand, I think Hollywood approaches Greek mythology at an angle that is far too low-brow. Clash of the Titans and the recent film about Hercules, for example, just want to project muscles, explosions and over-the-top monsters on to the screen. The sad thing is their multi-million dollar CG extravaganzas completely overlook the intelligence, emotion and basic humanity of these fantastic tales.

WP: What is your favourite historical fiction/fantasy novel (and why)?

GI: You said favourite, so I’m going to be honest. It has to be The Lord of the Rings. A boring answer, I know, especially for anyone looking for a new book to read. But it’s true. I re-read it every two or three years and I’m just drawn into a complete fantasy world that never disappoints (except for the fact they’re too short - after the Grey Havens I just want to keep reading).

WP: Do you envision yourself writing in Bronze Age Greece only, or are there other periods you would like to explore? Is there a historic person in particular whose story you would like to tell?

GI: I’m tempted by Heracles, but maybe not for a while. The historical period I’d most like to write about at the moment is the Great War. For much too long I’ve turned aside from studying this vital period in history because of the common perception that all the death and suffering was for nothing. There isn’t the same sense of futility with the Second World War. But a couple of years ago I started to explore the Great War a little more and now I’ve become hooked on it. Almost all the stereotypes I knew have been exploded and to be honest I feel I’ve been cheated for too long by modern interpretations. Worse still, I think the men who fought that war have been cheated. What I’d like to do is write a series of novels that attempts to honour the memory of those men and the reasons for their sacrifice. So instead of portraying a single historical person, I’d like to do justice to the soldiers who fought on the Western Front and perhaps dispel some of the purely negative mythology attached to them. The problem is that the market will be saturated with Great War novels for some time, so it might be difficult to find a gap.

WP: Many authors struggle for years to break out or get noticed, and from what you say on your website, you had just such an experience. In hindsight, is there anything you would do differently? Do you have any advice for new historical fiction/fantasy authors?

GI: Yes it took a while. I started writing King of Ithaca in 1999 and it was rejected 38 times before I was offered a contract in 2006. It hasn’t been much easier since, either. If I could go back to 1999 (or earlier) and give myself some advice, I would say “have more faith”. Writers need to believe in themselves to succeed. When sending a synopsis and sample chapters to a publisher or agent, they’re much more likely to pay attention if the writer sounds upbeat about the book and their own talents.

The first bit of advice I would give any historical writer is to remember that plot should be secondary to character. An exciting storyline can only go so far in engaging readers; it’s more important they care about the people you’ve created if they’re to continue to the last page. When a reader invests emotionally in your characters then, as an author, you’ve succeeded.

Another thing is that research is vital and takes time, but don’t feel the need to include everything you’ve learned in your story. You should do enough to feel comfortable with the place and era you’re describing, which will then come through in what you write. But don’t be tempted to bog the reader down with historical facts - leave that to the textbooks. Little details here and there should be enough to draw the reader in without hindering the flow of your story.

WP: Do you ever see your work being made into a movie? Who would play Odysseus and Eperitus?

GI: See my earlier comment about Hollywood. Obviously I’d be mad to turn down a movie offer, but judging by what has been done so far with Greek mythology I dread to think what Hollywood would do to my characters and storyline. I would love the books to be made into a US TV series, though. You just have to look at the quality of The Wire, Game of Thrones and The Walking Dead to realize the storytelling power of this medium. As for actors, that’s a tough one. I can’t think of anyone who just fits either role. Damian Lewis is a good actor and a natural redhead so might be an interesting choice for Odysseus. And maybe Norman Reedus (Daryl in The Walking Dead) would be a good Eperitus - quiet, thoughtful and mean.

WP: Do you have any writing rituals that you would like to share? What is a typical ‘writing day’ like for you?

GI: Over the years I’ve learned I have a writing ‘sweet spot’ that occurs in the middle of the afternoon. I average around 2,500 words a day, most of which get written between 2pm and 6pm. Knowing that, I usually start my writing day (which is Friday - I have another job the other four days of the week) with a cooked breakfast at a café in town. It’s a very old fashioned place with high ceilings, sash windows and listed wallpaper from the 1920s, but it’s got a great atmosphere and serves wonderful food. I usually sit there until 11am drinking tea with a couple of friends, then head home to start the day’s writing. It still takes me a while to get settled and one pitfall I have to avoid is the temptation to look at e-mails, the internet or play games. It’s always best to jump straight in - the sooner I force my brain into writing mode the better. My worst writing days are when I haven’t had enough sleep. My best are when I have a clear outline of what I’m going to write, so I can just slip straight into it and let the pistons of my imagination get pumping.

WP: What is your next project?

GI: I’m busy sorting out a paperback version of The Oracles of Troy, the fourth in my Odysseus series. I’m also a third of the way through the fifth book, currently entitled The Voyage of Odysseus. That’ll take me into 2015, with editing and so on, and then it’ll be on to the final episode in Odysseus’s adventures. I’ve also written a teenage novel set in the modern era, which I’m hoping to send out to agents and publishers soon. Then there’s another teenage novel rattling around my head that I’m quite excited about, but, as ever, it’s a matter of finding the time to get it on to paper.


I'd like to thank Glyn for taking the time to answer all my questions and give us some insight into his love of history and his writing life. 

I highly recommend The Adventures of Odysseus! The series will inspire you, make you rage, make you cry, and make you want to get stuck in there with sword, and shield, and spear alongside all the heroes that have haunted story and myth since that long-ago war beneath the walls of Troy. 

Be sure to check out Glyn's website to find out more about the series. You can also connect with him on Twitter. 

His books are available on both Amazon and Kobo. 

As ever, thank you for reading. 

Tiryns – Mycenaean Stronghold and Place of Legend

This week, I wanted to write about a site. I haven’t done that in a while and everyone seems to enjoy the journey that sort of post provides.

But which site? I wanted to pick something that was lesser-known but still exciting. I’ve been to many sites, especially around Greece, all of them fascinating and steeped in myth.

I settled on Tiryns, Mycenae’s poorer brother in the tourist trade.

"In the south-eastern corner of the plain of Argos, on the west and lowest and flattest of those rocky heights which here form a group, and rise like islands from the marshy plain, at a distance of 8 stadia, or about 1500 m. from the Gulf of Argos, lay the prehistoric citadel of Tiryns, now called Palaeocastron." (Heinrich Schliemann; Tiryns; 1885) 

I visited the site with family during the summer of 2002. It was a scorcher of a day and the cicadas were whirring full force by 9 a.m. Luckily, the heat meant that the place was devoid of visitors - the perfect time to explore.

Tiryns is one of those sites that you likely know about if you have studied classics, mythology or archaeology. Most people have not heard about it. It lies in the broad Argive plain, a fenced-in circuit wall along the road between Nafplio and Argos itself, surrounded by orange and olive groves.

At first glance, there is no hint that Tiryns was one of the major Mycenaean power centres of the Bronze Age. The cyclopean walls are big, impressive, but there had been times when I had driven by and not even noticed it. Perhaps that was due to the madness of driving in Greece.

The West Wall

When we got out of the car, the hot wind whipped across the plain to envelope us and, once we paid our entrance fee at the small kiosk, it seemed to sweep us up the ramp to the citadel, and back in time.

Tiryns is a place of myth and legend. It has been inhabited since the 7^th millennium B.C., but by the Hellenistic and Roman periods, it was already in the death throes of a swift decline. Pausanius visited as a tourist in the 2^nd century A.D.

"Going on from here [from Argos to Epidauros] and turning to the right, you come to the ruins of Tiryns... The wall, which is the only part of the ruins still remaining, is a work of the Cyclopes made of unwrought stones, each stone being so big that a pair of mules could not move the smallest from its place to the slightest degree. Long ago small stones were so inserted that each of them binds the large blocks firmly together." (Pausanias; Description of Greece)

I’ve spoken before about the feel of a place of great antiquity. Tiryns is an ancient place.

In mythology, it was founded by Proitos, the brother of Akrisios, King of Argos and father of Danae, the mother of Perseus.

It was said that the walls of Tiryns were built by the Thracian Cyclopes of the ‘bellyhands’ clan before they built the walls of Mycenae and Argos. This is why this style is called ‘cyclopean walls’. They were known as the ‘bellyhands’ because that clan of the Cyclopes were said to have made their living through manual labour.

Perseus

It would have been a feat of tremendous strength to say the least, as each stone weighs several tons.

The association with Perseus is indirect as he acquired Tiryns after he killed his grandfather, Akrisios, but before he established Mycenae.

One of the most important mythological associations with Tiryns however, was Herakles, the son of Zeus and Alkmene. The latter was the granddaughter of Perseus.

Let us go back to the time when Eurystheus was king of Mycenae, Tiryns and Argos.

According to Apollodorus:

"Now it came to pass that after the battle with the Minyans Hercules was driven mad through the jealousy of Hera and flung his own children, whom he had by Megara, and two children of Iphicles into the fire; wherefore he condemned himself to exile, and was purified by Thespius, and repairing to Delphi he inquired of the god where he should dwell. The Pythian priestess then first called him Hercules, for hitherto he was called Alcides. And she told him to dwell in Tiryns, serving Eurystheus for twelve years and to perform the ten labours imposed on him, and so, she said, when the tasks were accomplished, he would be immortal."(Apollodorus; Book II)

After Hera drove Herakles mad, causing him to kill his own children, the Oracle at Delphi told the hero that he needed to serve King Eurystheus for twelve years in order to atone for his horrible actions.

Herakles presents Eurystheus with
the Erymanthian Boar

Herakles settled in Tiryns. His twelve tasks, or Labours, for Eurystheus are legendary and have been depicted in art for centuries throughout the ancient world. 

Admittedly, when I visited Tiryns on that day, I had no idea of its associations with Perseus or Herakles. For me, a lot of research is sparked after visiting a site, and as a result a follow-up visit is certainly in order.

The citadel of Tiryns is about 28 metres high and 280 meters long, and it was built in three stages. In the 12^th century B.C. it was destroyed by earthquake and fire but remained an important centre until the 7^th century B.C. when it was a cult centre for the worship of Hera, Athena and Herakles.

The Late Bronze Age (1600-1050 B.C.) was the height of Tiryns’ existence. It is during this time that the cyclopean walls and most of the fortifications were built. 

Today, as in the Bronze Age, one approaches the citadel on the east side. To get to the upper citadel, which was the location of the Great Megaron and palace, you must walk up a massive ramp that is 47 metres long and 4.70 metres wide. This would have led to the main wooden gates.

The Great Gate

Once past the gates, you walk along what was a corridor that led to the Great Gate which was flanked by a tall tower. The Great Gate was almost the size of the famous Lion Gate of Mycenae, and would have proved an imposing structure.

When I was walking along the ramp, looking up at the remains of the massive walls and the tower, I could imagine warriors in bronze, with boar’s tusk helmets, looking down on me with spears or bows in hand.

Even though the citadel contained a luxurious palace and baths, this would not have been an easy fortress to storm.

Once you attain the top, you find yourself on a level area looking out over the site – the upper, middle and lower citadels.

Artist Reconstruction of the Citadel of Tiryns

There is not much left in the way of intact walls when it comes to the palace but you can see the outlines of the many rooms, especially the courtyards and the Great Megaron where the King of Tiryns held court and had his throne on a raised platform overlooking the central hearth.

Imagine Herakles approaching Eurystheus to ask him what his next labour was to be, in this room. This was the heart of the palace. Other rooms would have included residences, a second Megaron and even a bath, the floor of which is made up of a huge monolith.

I was a bit dazed, standing there in the heat, looking on the remains of this site with awe. It is so very old and the ruins only hint at what was a luxurious, but defensible, palace.  And that was just the upper citadel.

The middle citadel, 2 m lower, provided access to the defences and may even have contained a pottery kiln. The lower citadel, which is also surrounded by walls, may have been used as a refuge for the people of Tiryns town on the west side, in times of need.

Reconstructed frescoe
from Tiryns' Palace

At one point, when I was looking about the gravelly surface of the court, I spotted tiny bits of pottery. Of course, I bent down to get a closer look and picked up a shard with three black lines painted across it. Before I could contemplate the age of this piece, a loud whistle blew and a site person seemingly emerged from the rocks like an asp hiding from the midday sun. “No touching!” I heard, in heavily accented English.

Good thing she didn’t have a spear or bow.

After leaving the upper citadel, we walked down some steps to what is my favourite part of the site – the east Galaria.

This beautiful arched tunnel is still intact, and with the sun shining from above it was suffused with soft light. I immediately imagined a Mycenaean queen strolling between the light and shadow of this place, or a determined king on his way to a war council, his cloak flapping behind him, bronze-clad guards in his wake.

The East Galaria

Such is the power of a site like this to fire the imagination.

Back to the present.

Today, with the cold of November almost upon us, I think back to that scorched but brilliant day at Tiryns, and smile. I feel warmth again, enjoy the glint of the sun radiating off of the stone, its sparkle far out in the Gulf of Argos.

This ancient citadel is a welcoming place where history and myth are entwined, comfortable allies. I certainly hope my path leads me there again one day.

I’d like to thank all of you for reading and to extend a warm welcome to all the new subscribers. If there is anything you are interested in hearing more about on Writing the Past, send me an e-mail at writingthepast [at] gmail.com