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The Pericles Commission (The Athenian Mysteries #1)

by Gary Corby (Goodreads Author)

3.82 of 5 stars 3.82 · rating details · 180 ratings · 61 reviews

Nicolaos walks the mean streets of Classical Athens as an agent for the promising young politician Pericles. His mission is to find the assassin of the statesman Ephialtes, the man who brought democracy to Athens and whose murder has thrown the city into uproar. It’s a job not made any easier by the depressingly increasing number of dead witnesses.

But murder and mayhem don...more

Hardcover, United States, 352 pages

Published November 9th 2010 by Minotaur Books (first published October 12th 2010)

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Jan 29, 2011 Asma rated it 5 of 5 stars

Loved this story, especially the likable characters who found themselves in surprising circumstances. As I enjoy history and literature, this was the best of both worlds. I also liked the way it imaginatively developed and magnified a relatively obscure but important episode in Greece, whose legacy for the modern world developed right here. Corby has mastered irony, fast pacing, and suspense. The sequel in this Hellene Mystery series will take the detective hero Nicolaus from Athens into Persia,...more

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Apr 25, 2012 Meaghan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: adult-novels, historical-novels, read-in-2012

This was a reasonably good mystery, with plenty of twists and turns as well as humorous moments. The author did a good job of educating the reader on the life and times of ancient Athens without sounding like a history lecturer. I thought it was over-long though, and it didn't make me feel a strong urge to go out and get the sequel. A solid B.

If you liked this book I would recommend the book Ancient Athens on 5 Drachmas a Day, a nonfiction title with a similar feel and, obviously, the same setti...more

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Jan 14, 2011 Seth rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: ancient-civilization

The Pericles Chronicle is a fictional account of an investigation into the assassination of Ephialtes, who was an actual historical figure killed in 461 BC a few days after introducing democracy in Athens. The investigator, who serves as narrator, was an imaginary figure created by author Gary Corby as the older brother of Socrates when he was a boy. In addition, many of the events, although plausible in view of what is known of the period, were also invented. As Corby acknowledges in the afterw...more The Pericles Chronicle is a fictional account of an investigation into the assassination of Ephialtes, who was an actual historical figure killed in 461 BC a few days after introducing democracy in Athens. The investigator, who serves as narrator, was an imaginary figure created by author Gary Corby as the older brother of Socrates when he was a boy. In addition, many of the events, although plausible in view of what is known of the period, were also invented. As Corby acknowledges in the afterword, the investigator's trial on trumped up charges descends into farce.

So we are dealing with a hybrid here--part fiction and part fact. The book has educational value to the extent that it is based on actual individuals, events, places, and customs and attempts to depict daily life in Greece in the period between the Greco-Persian Wars and the Peloponnesian War between Athens and Sparta. However, education is balanced by entertainment, as the author amuses the reader with the antics of a high-end courtesan--known then as a hetaera--and her equally voluptuous daughter, a priestess in training. The combination of education and entertainment makes reading the Pericles Commission a worthwhile and pleasant experience.

Ancient Greece, often characterized as the cradle of civilization, continues to intrigue us. I would like to compare Corby's lighthearted approach with the 'Trial of Socrates' by the late I.F. Stone, the American journalist and apparent Soviet spy who taught himself ancient Greek in retirement in order to perform a 20th century investigation of the circumstances of Socrates' conviction for impiety by analyzing original texts.

This must have been a challenge, as history as a discipline was in its infancy in 5th century BC. In fact, Herodotus, who chronicled the Persian War, and Thucydides, who chronicled the Peloponnesian War, were the very first historians. Previously, epic poetry based on mythology was the only written means of passing along traditions from one generation to another. It is also noteworthy that Thucydides' 'History of the Peloponnesian War' contained Pericles' patriotic funeral oration in honor of the sacrifices of Athens' war dead. Pericles also exhibits his rhetorical prowess in Corby's book, which is essentially an attempt to popularize ancient history.(less)

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May 14, 2013 Richard rated it 3 of 5 stars

Rating: 3* of five

The Publisher Says: Nicolaos walks the mean streets of Classical Athens as an agent for the promising young politician Pericles. His mission is to find the assassin of the statesman Ephialtes, the man who brought democracy to Athens and whose murder has thrown the city into uproar. It’s a job not made any easier by the depressingly increasing number of dead witnesses.

But murder and mayhem don’t bother Nico; what’s really on his mind is how to get closer (much closer) to Diotima...more

11 likes · like · see review

Feb 19, 2013 Anthony Pacheco rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery

The Pericles Commission is a wonderful debut novel by researcher and writer Gary Corby. A murder mystery set in ancient Greece, the novel is also a political thriller, a coming-of-age-story and a cultural study all in one tight, little, whirlwind package of historical mystery goodness.

And Corby pulls it off masterfully.

The plot goes like this:

"Early one bright, clear morning in Athens, 461 B.C., a dead man falls from the sky, landing at the feet of Nicolaos.

It doesn’t normally rain corpses. This...more

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Sep 08, 2011 Lucinda rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Pericles Commission (Minotaur 2010) introduces Nicolaos, the son of a sculptor, who is minding his own business when a dead man falls from the sky. As Nicolaos examines the dead man, killed with an arrow through the heart, Pericles comes running down the road. At first suspicious of each other, the two establish a rapport that results in Pericles hiring Nicolaos to find the assassin of Ephialtes, who created the world’s first democracy in Athens a few days earlier. Pericles is afraid that th...more

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Nov 19, 2011 Dorothy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Lovers of historical mysteries and writing about ancient Greece

Shelves: historical-mysteries

Just over a week ago I first learned of this series of mysteries set in the ancient Athens of Pericles and Socrates and I couldn't wait to get started reading them. I requested the book on my Kindle and got right down to business. I was not disappointed.

This is Gary Corby's first Athenian mystery but he shows a sureness and sophistication in the plotting, and his characters are well-drawn. Many of the characters here, like Pericles, Socrates, and the first murder victim Ephialtes, were real peop...more Just over a week ago I first learned of this series of mysteries set in the ancient Athens of Pericles and Socrates and I couldn't wait to get started reading them. I requested the book on my Kindle and got right down to business. I was not disappointed.

This is Gary Corby's first Athenian mystery but he shows a sureness and sophistication in the plotting, and his characters are well-drawn. Many of the characters here, like Pericles, Socrates, and the first murder victim Ephialtes, were real people, but Corby's main character Nicolaos is his own invention. He is a particularly appealing and empathetic character.

Nicolaos is the son of a sculptor who hopes that his older son will follow in his footsteps. Nico has other ideas, but in ancient Athens he is bound to do what his father commands. He only becomes a free adult when his father dies.

We meet Nico just as he has returned from his two years of service in Athens' army. He is twenty years old and has an idea that he might want to enter the world of politics, but he has no background or training for it and, of course, there is that immovable object, his father's determination that he should become a sculptor. Nico's family also includes a mother who is a midwife and a twelve-year-old brother named Socrates - yes, that Socrates! - who is an irritating nuisance to a young man about town.

As Nico wonders how he can persuade his father that he is not cut out to be a sculptor, Fate takes a hand in his life. As he stands near the rock of the Aeropagus, a dead body pierced by an arrow falls at his feet. It is Ephialtes, the man who has lately given Athens its democracy. As Nico examines the body, another man comes along the path. It is Pericles, the consummate Athenian politician. After an initially hostile confrontation, Nico manages to impress Pericles with his observations and conclusions about the killing. Pericles gives him a commission: Find who the murderer is and he will be richly rewarded.

Nicolaos accepts the commission but makes little headway in his investigation before the body count begins to mount. Are all the other deaths somehow connected to the first? How can he ever prove it, even with the impassioned assistance of Ephialtes' beautiful daughter? The neophyte detective must pursue his investigation in a dangerous Athens on the knife-edge of civil war. How can he possibly hope to succeed?

Corby has recreated a very believable fifth-century B.C.E. Athens. The sounds, the smells, the patri-centric society where fathers hold the power or life or death over their children, the birth pangs of something new under the sun - a democracy - are all here in this rich historical mix. The pacing of the novel makes it a real page-turner. It was hard to put it down, as I couldn't wait to see what would happen next. It was an impressive beginning for a series. I can't wait to read more. (less)

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Oct 09, 2012 Jo rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: crime, historical-fiction

Is it historical fiction? Is it crime? Is it an old-school murder mysery? Who knows! Whatever it is, it's brilliantly done, stacked full of history, humour and hijinks galore.

When the body of Ephialtes, a Greek politician, falls from the sky and lands in front of the ambitious Nicolaos, he is thrust into the political arena whether he likes it or not. Mostly, he does. Except for all those times he's being attacked, beaten, and accused of various crimes. But that's politics for you.

To me, this re...more

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May 27, 2011 Jay rated it 3 of 5 stars

An ancient Athenian murder mystery. Simple (that's a compliment); maybe "clean" is a better way to describe it. I find the protagonist's "stoicism" (an anachronism, since the events take place 150 years prior to Zeno's earliest teaching) to be too artificial. And I'm always leery of strong female characters in fictional antiquities; although in his end Note, the author claims scholarly support for both the situation, and the particular female character (confirmed by Wikipedia). So I'm going to g...more

1 like · like · see review

Sep 04, 2011 Joelle Anthony rated it 5 of 5 stars

A full year before this book came out, the author was tweeting about it and I asked where I could buy it. Didn't realize it wasn't available yet, but it sounded so intriguing, I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. So when it was released, I bought it and then stuck it away to save for one of those days I wanted something special.

This week, I needed an escape, so I got it out, and what a great escape it was! If I'm totally honest, it was a tad bit bloodier than this squeamish reader usually rea...more

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Feb 11, 2011 Hank Quense rated it 4 of 5 stars

A murder mystery, but one with a twist. This one takes place in Athens in Ancient Greece in the early days of Pericles and Greek democracy. In other words, this one combines murder with historical fiction.
The story starts with the murder of Ephialtes, the Greek who gave birth to democracy in Athens. The murder takes place only a few days after democracy was initiated and the main suspects are the ones who were replaced by the democracy. The body falls from a height and almost lands on Nicolaos,...more

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Dec 15, 2010 Mary rated it 1 of 5 stars

Got to page 76. This history-based mystery did not blend the history and mystery at all well (unless I just didn't get far enough). Parts of it felt like a history lecture, and some of the historical detail was just TMI for me. It was the only thing I had in the car with me while waiting for kids at a movie, else I would not likely have made it to page 76.

Young man of Athens has body of important personage land literally at his feet; teams up with another important personage to solve the crime....more

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Oct 04, 2010 Robin rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is a dandy historical debut from author Gary Corby, who appears to share the sensibility of Lindsey Davis. While his book is set in Ancient Athens rather than Rome, there's a similar sens of humor and lightness of touch to this one. The hero, Nicolaos, finds a dead man who literally drops at his feet, killed by an arrow. Coming along soon after is Pericles, who gives Nicolaos a commission to find the killer. The dead man turns out to be the guy who invented democracy; all of Athens in an up...more

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May 01, 2013 Kirstie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: murder-mystery, historical-fiction

Nicolaos, a sculptor’s son who dreams of more, is startled when a dead body falls from the sky and lands in front of him. The corpse is that of Ephialtes, the man who brought democracy to Athens, and not entirely against his will Nicolaos is dragged into the search for Ephialtes’ murderer. The promise of fortune and a better life may be tempting but as the search continues and the body count stacks up it isn’t just Nicolaos in danger, but his family and the entirety of Athens. Will finding the k...more

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Feb 26, 2012 Seth Lynch rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: crime, historical

I enjoyed this book all the way through. I read it in all the spare minutes I had. It meant nearly missing bus stops and staying up an extra half-hour each night to read another chapter.

The first chapter is a master class on how to hook a reader. We get the murder with the great opening line: A dead man fell from the sky. We get the commission from Pericles to investigate the killing. There is the threat the new, not yet established, democracy in Athens is under threat. We also know that this wi...more

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Jul 22, 2012 Ned rated it 3 of 5 stars

The Pericles Commission is a perfectly serviceable mystery set in ancient Greece. Sometimes the explanatory information is shoehorned inelegantly into the narrative, but there is a lot of background to go over for those readers (like me) who aren't aware of many facts of ancient Greek life. The murder mystery itself, though, left me a little cold.

I wish there were more books in this genre. I feel that this book was not nearly as much fun as "Murder at the Panionic Games" by Michael B. Edwards, w...more

1 like · like · see review

Dec 18, 2010 Marieke rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: people who like fun mysteries

Recommended to Marieke by: Asma

Shelves: 2010, antiquity, e-book, fiction, fun, history, law, mystery-thriller, politics, nook, crime

This first mystery novel by Gary Corby was surprisingly fun and i'm looking forward to the next books in the series. Not only was it fun, but it has increased my interest tenfold to finally buckle down and learn about Antiquity by reading classic texts and other history books i have lying around.

I gave it four stars, but in some ways it is a (strong) 3.5 star book for me. Some of the writing was a little uneven and had it been another author i may have bumped it down to three stars, but i know...more

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Jan 12, 2011 Phair rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-mystery, classical-era

A little slow getting into this because of all the social & political background that dragged down the action. Once I felt grounded in the setting it moved along OK. I know when I wasn't actually reading it I was still thinking about who might have been the murderer. The actual solution felt a tad convoluted but in the end was satisfactory. Many aspects felt similar to Davis' Falco series. The author's end note indicated where Niko's next adventure will take him and while not anxiously awai...more

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Dec 08, 2011 Ali rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, mystery, 2011

This book had a fun concept (solving a murder in newly democratic Athens) and covered an interesting time (apparently) historically accurately. I'm only giving it three stars, though, because of the writing style. First, I thought it felt overly simplistic and written down -- it sounds like a young adult novel at times, and I don't think it's supposed to (given that a courtesan is a main character, etc.). Second, I had a hard time keeping track of the characters, even with the character list in...more

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Feb 18, 2011 Carolyn rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is the book I've been searching for! I was teaching my children Greek history and my daughter, 13, is just fascinated by this subject. I get so caught up in their studies, so I wanted something fun to read set in Classical Greece. I couldn't wait to start this book and I was not disappointed at all!
I passed it on to my daughter at once and she is enjoying the mystery along with the reinforcement of some history. There is nothing in this novel that a 13 year old has not already seen on TV an...more

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Feb 17, 2011 Dale rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, history

Set in the period between the second Persian war and the Peloponnesian war, Nicolaos, son of Sophroniscos and brother of Socrates investigates the murder of Ephialtes, leader of the new Athenian democratic movement. Nicolaos is a young man (and Socrates a twelve year old boy) who shows some initiative and is hired by Pericles to investigate the murder. It turns out that investigating a political murder has a good many risks in the rough and tumble political world of Athens and Nicolaos finds him...more

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Jul 11, 2011 Karen rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: crime, review-books

Of course Ancient Greeks didn't "sound" Australian, but there's nothing wrong with the idea that they had senses of humour, the ability to comment on their own actions, and a strong understanding of the way that the world in which they moved worked and if that feeling has to be imparted in a way that we can "get" why not in our sort of voice? At first the gentle humour and the very Australian voices in THE PERICLES COMMISSION came as a bit of a surprise, albeit a rather pleasant one, but the mor...more Of course Ancient Greeks didn't "sound" Australian, but there's nothing wrong with the idea that they had senses of humour, the ability to comment on their own actions, and a strong understanding of the way that the world in which they moved worked and if that feeling has to be imparted in a way that we can "get" why not in our sort of voice? At first the gentle humour and the very Australian voices in THE PERICLES COMMISSION came as a bit of a surprise, albeit a rather pleasant one, but the more I read this book, the more I realised that the voice works. Mixed in with sufficient historical perspective and details, this book could work for fans of historical crime fiction, just as it would be a perfect introduction for readers who have steered clear until now.

The story told is as old as the setting though - politicians fighting for power, for their version of politics, for their view of the world. Nicolas, the son of a sculptor is only given the task of investigating this death because he happens to be the man on the spot. His reactions impress Pericles, a supporter of democracy (from the same "side" as the dead man), so Pericles commissions Nicolas. There's a lot of detail in the book about the whys and wherefores of how these sorts of things normally work in Ancient Greek society, as there are details about the various political movements - but the delivery of that detail is not heavy handed. At no stage did I feel like there was definitely going to be an exam at the end of this book, the details just flowed into the narrative.

There is a large cast of characters and one of those cast listings at the front (including a pronunciation guide). More importantly the real-life characters are also indicated and it's interesting to see how Corby has woven fact into fiction in what seems to this reader, at least, a seamless manner. One of the more appealing parts of the book was definitely the way that it seemed to be providing a bit of a history lesson, woven into a really interesting tale - making the history both palatable and very real.

As with all these sorts of lone, private, accidental investigators, a lot of the enjoyment of the book hangs on whether or not a reader can believe the situation. There's something very believable about Nicolas taking up the investigator role - despite absolutely no experience, ability, training, or even much of an idea of how to start. Sure there's a fair amount of him acting as a catalyst for events, rather than a finder of facts, but facts he does discover, and he does garner help from some unlikely quarters including a love interest. Ephialtes, illegitimate but acknowledged daughter of the dead man is a great character, although you are going to have to brace yourself for a bit of that romantic carry on. Not too much thankfully, and nicely balanced out with Ephialtes being no shrinking violet and not afraid to get into the action in her own right.

There are other great characters in this book, and there are some excellent insights into the setting and the period (albeit that I have no way of knowing how accurate any of it is - but it certainly feels, reads and sits well within the context of the story). Ultimately what really works if the character of Nicolas himself. His dogged determination to make his own way in the world, his relationship with his father, mother and younger brother Socrates (make of his name and description what you will), and his way of seeing the world around him made this a really engaging, light, fast and ultimately extremely enjoyable book.
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Feb 07, 2011 Karen Chow rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction

I enjoyed this murder mystery amidst a mini history lesson about the start of the first democracy in Athens. As the author notes in his commentary, many of the characters are real people, which adds some dimension to the story.

However, while I liked the chemistry between the main character Nicolaos and his partner detective Diotima, the mystery moved really slowly...where certain actions/thoughts were overdescribed. Maybe this was because the author is a historian first and an author second? Str...more

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Nov 11, 2011 Michael rated it 4 of 5 stars

HIstorical mysteries can be tough. They have to walk a fine line between historical detail (too much can be mind numbing, too little and what's the point) and the regular concerns of character and plot.

This one walks right down the middle. The immersion into ancient Greece is fantastic, and the actual mystery is solid. Corby even manages a handful of strong female characters; an impressive feat given the role of women in Athenian society.

Highly recommended.

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Jan 16, 2011 Linda rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery

What a fantastic book. Athens 461BC is the setting for this wonderful, fun, informative and intriguing book by Gary Corby. Who could not love Nicolaos and his family. I got the book on Saturday morning and I did nothing else but sit and read - I finished it Sunday afternoon and now I am lost having finished the book. What joy to know there will be more Nico and a certain priestess from Mantinea adventures - this time inside the Persian Empire.

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Feb 22, 2011 V.R. Barkowski rated it 4 of 5 stars

In the THE PERICLES COMMISSION by Gary Corby, Nico, the son of a sculptor ends up an unwitting detective when the dead body of Ephialtes—an early leader of the democratic movement in Ancient Athens—lands in front of him on the street. THE PERICLES COMMISSION is a smart, clever high stakes murder mystery couched in fascinating history and politics. Anyone who reads this blog likely knows I’m not a big fan of procedurals. For THE PERICLES COMMISSION, I’ll make an exception. What makes this story w...more

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Oct 01, 2012 Jack rated it 4 of 5 stars

I loved it.
The mystery was good - the author, Gary Corby, kept you guessing as to how it as going to turn out . Thank goodness he didn't stoop to using 'Deus Ex Machina'.
The plots were well thought out and once could even say (in true Hollywood fashion) based on 'true events'.
And the history is spot on - lots of really good information to fill in the blanks that is not presented as part of a lecture.

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Nov 16, 2012 Rebecca rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, mystery

Nicolaos' investigation is a bit slow in the beginning (and his technique for questioning witnesses is... straightforward, to say the least), but the book quickly picks up and holds your attention hostage. Gary Corby's writing pulled me into the book so much, I ended up staying up until 2am finishing it! Now I can't wait to read anything else that he's written. (Hopefully more with Nicolaos).

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Sep 27, 2012 Daphna rated it 5 of 5 stars

I was so pleasantly surprised by the Pericles Commission. As a fan of Greek history and mysteries, I found this book right up my alley. The constant twists, turns, interlaced with history and the final section explaining the factual vs. fiction made this a must read. I have the next book on order and can't wait!
Keep up the excellent writing Gary!

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May 24, 2012 Jeremy rated it 3 of 5 stars

This book lacked any real style, as far as the writing goes, and the author often seemed more interested in telling us about life in ancient Athens than his story, but in the end, the setting and the plot sucked me in. There's a sequel, and I'll probably read it, too. C'est la vie.

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About Gary Corby

I'm the author of the Athenian Mysteries.

Nicolaos, the ambitious son of a minor sculptor, walks the mean streets of Classical Athens as an agent for the promising young politician Pericles.

Murder and mayhem don't faze Nico; what's really on his mind is how to get closer (much closer) to Diotima, the intelligent and annoyingly virgin priestess of Artemis, and how to shake off his irritating 12 yea...more

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