Reading order · 3 books · 1969 to 1981 · Set in Ancient Greece
Alexander Books in Order
Mary Renault’s Alexander trilogy follows Alexander the Great from his boyhood in Macedon, through his conquest of Persia, to the struggle for his empire after his death.
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Series facts
- Books
- 3
- Published
- 1969 to 1981
- First book
- Fire from Heaven
- Latest
- Funeral Games (1981)
- Setting
- Set in Ancient Greece
The reading order
Every Alexander book in publication order. Choose a title for its cast and summary.
3 books · Set in Ancient Greece
- 1Fire from Heaven1969With AlexanderThe boyhood and youth of Alexander of Macedon, from his childhood between a fierce mother and a brilliant father, to his schooling with Aristotle and his friendship with Hephaistion, until he becomes king at twenty.Buy on Amazon
- 2The Persian Boy1972With BagoasBagoas, a young Persian eunuch, serves King Darius and then Alexander, and tells the story of Alexander’s conquest of the Persian empire.Buy on Amazon
- 3Funeral Games1981After Alexander’s death, his generals and family fight over his empire.Buy on Amazon
Do you need to read them in order?
Read Fire from Heaven, The Persian Boy and Funeral Games in order.
Who appears in which book
The series’ main characters, book by book. Lead means the book is told around them; minor covers cameos.
| Book | Alexander | Bagoas | Hephaistion |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Fire from Heaven | LLead | MMajor | |
| 2 The Persian Boy | MMajor | LLead | MMajor |
| 3 Funeral Games | ·Minor |
Characters in the Alexander books
3 characters from Mary Renault’s chart, with the number of Alexander books each appears in.
| Character | Books | First in this series |
|---|---|---|
| AlexanderPrince of Macedon who conquers Persia | 3 | Fire from Heaven 1969 |
| BagoasPersian eunuch and narrator | 1 | The Persian Boy 1972 |
| HephaistionAlexander's closest friend | 2 | Fire from Heaven 1969 |