Dallas, TX -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/14/2013 -- In his third book, ‘Requiem for Athens’, Dr. David S. Alkek invites his readers to participate in the daily life of Ancient Greece.

Immersed in the turbulent politics and fratricidal wars of Ancient Greece, the fictional character, Phidias, is wounded in battle and joins Aristotle as a student of Plato. He falls passionately in love with the beautiful Thais, but is torn away to join Aristotle, then Alexander the Great on his glorious conquests.

As a witness to epic battles, bloody assassinations, and twisted conspiracies, Phidias struggles to guide the young conqueror through his personal turmoil. After giving birth to the great library of Alexandria, Phidias is at long last allowed to return to Athens to fulfill his destiny and find his long lost love.

This epic tale of love and war, sex and murder deftly captures the setting in Ancient Greece to stunning effect. Historical characters such as Aristotle and Plato, Philip of Macedon and his son Alexander, and the great orator, Demosthenes, surround the character Phidias in his adventure through a drama-filled part of history.

A longtime lover of history and a student of philosophy, Alkek deliberately chose one of the most dramatic periods in Greek history as a background for his book.

“This is an action-packed saga that reads as like many of today’s popular novels,” Alkek says. “However it also uses the ancient technique of storytelling to teach both history and philosophy to the reader. I have used Joseph Campbell’s “The Hero’s Journey” as a basic theme.”

‘Requiem for Athens’ is available for sale online at Amazon.com and www.alkekbooks.com. ISBN: 978-1480119352.

About the Author
David Alkek is the author of three books, a contemporary mystery set in Dallas and a book of science and philosophy that investigates the purpose of the universe. His newly released third book, “Requiem for Athens” is historical fiction.

A dermatologist for over 40 years, David draws from his medical and scientific background to create his books. He is an avid reader and credits Arthur Conan Doyle, John Grisham, Ken Follett, and Isaac Asimov for providing his inspiration.

In his free time David likes to write, play poker, garden, and attend writer’s workshops and book clubs. What David does not enjoy is being bored.