by Mary Renault

Born in England in 1905, Mary Renault emigrated to South Africa in 1948 and remained there the rest of her life. During her long career as an author, she wrote many historical novels set in the ancient world. The Bull from the Sea is a fictional interpretation of life in ancient Greece as it might have been experienced by the legendary Greek hero Theseus. While the novel focuses on a mythical figure, Renault's portrait of the society in which he is supposed to have lived is based on extensive scholarly research into the Mycenaean civilization that actually existed in Greece between about 1500 and 1100 B.C.

Events in History at the Time the Novel Takes Place

The Mycenaean Age. The Bull from the Sea focuses on a time early in Greek history known as the Mycenaean Age. The country known...