A classical time-warp, “Leoninus, Senator of Athens” is a modern morality tale set in ancient Greece. (with elements of Rome.) A dashing young hero falls in love with the beautiful daughter of Athens’ ruler at the time: the wise, compassionate and beloved chief of the Athenian Senate. There is in this situation a problem; The hero happens to be the Captain of an invading army, and chief aide to the Commander and dictator who would subjugate a proud and independent people. Leoninus, as a lone figure who stands apart from the spreading fear and surrender of the once-invincible City-State, becomes the principal target of the dictator’s ruthless persecution of any who would refuse to bow to his demand for universal subjugation. The clash of these two grim obsessions dominates a conflict that draws many into its violent core, with resulting intensities of grief, love, hatred, and finally madness, requiring vicious physical combat for resolution.

A counter thread is woven through the work’s dark tapestry, with flashes of wit, satire, and wry philosophical musings, including the tongue-in-cheek sparring of lovers who champion their respective genders.

Whether parable, allegory, or straightforward story-telling, this epical drama has depths invoking mysteries: the revolt of a repressed subconscious, the ineluctable power of human love, and the wide destruction that can accompany a determined and public obsession. For readers of all ages and persuasions, it is a work which, though it may be troubling at times, offers consolation through its delineating of the human spirit’s power to prevail.

View some excerpts from the book The Tragedy of Leoninus >