The Persian Boy is the middle book in Mary Renault's Alexander Trilogy. It was published simultaneously by Longman (London) and Pantheon (New York) in 1972. The story follows the Persian campaigns of Alexander the Great, and is narrated by the eunuch Bagoas, the Persian boy of the title.
Son of an executed Persian nobleman, Bagoas is sold into slavery, castrated, and hired out as a prostitute. From this life, he considers himself rescued when he is purchased by the Royal Harem and trained to serve King Darius in the inner bedchamber. Bagoas sees Alexander the Great's initial conquests from the perspective of Persia’s court; yet, after King Darius is slain, he becomes Alexander's trusted servant and lover. Alexander’s further campaigns in Persia and beyond are viewed through Bagoas’ eyes. The Persian Boy ends with Alexander’s death.
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