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Audiobook editionPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
Before Odysseus becomes a hero, he is a boy on a rocky island, listening to stories that shape his world.
In James Baldwin’s A Story of the Golden Age, young Odysseus grows up on Ithaca. His father, King Laertes, guides him in the ways of a ruler, while his mother, Anticleia, watches over him. Curious and quick of mind, the prince listens eagerly to tales of gods, heroes and the beginning of the world.
These stories are more than separate adventures. Perseus, Heracles and the sailors of the Argo become models for a boy learning what heroism means. Behind their deeds lies the Greek myth of a lost golden age, a life without toil or fear. Ahead, the tales lead toward the Trojan War, giving this gentle introduction a clear direction.
What you’ll discover
- A hero still growing Meet Odysseus before his fame, as curiosity opens his world to the old tales.
- Life on rocky Ithaca Follow a young prince as he learns from his father on their small, hilly island.
- Heroes worth wondering about Encounter Perseus, Heracles and the Argo’s sailors through stories that shape the boy’s hopes.
- The lost golden age Explore an old Greek dream of simple lives untouched by quarrels, toil or fear.
- The road toward Troy Watch the myths gather into a connected story rather than a list of separate tales.
Who will love it
Readers who enjoy Greek myths woven into one connected adventure will love this book, as will anyone seeking an approachable way into Homer.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- A map opens a wider world
- Travel stories teach lessons about danger
- A good choice leaves its mark
- Each pupil needs a different lesson
- Desire can reach beyond one person
- A clever bargain creates an obligation
- An old promise reaches home
- One tale opens into another
- A hero grows through connected choices
Who’s who
- OdysseusShort, quick-witted son of Laertes who longs to see the world beyond Ithaca and grows into its shrewdest hero.
- PhemiusBard and tutor who guides young Odysseus with maps, harp songs and tales of gods and monsters.
- AutolycusOdysseus's crafty old grandfather on Parnassus, called the King of Cattle Thieves, who teaches by story.
- CheironWise centaur on Mount Pelion who trains heroes according to each pupil's nature.
- PenelopeQuiet cousin of Helen who wins Odysseus's heart and chooses to go with him to Ithaca.
- ParisShepherd prince of Troy who judges the goddesses and awards Aphrodite the apple for her beauty.
- AchillesSwift young son of Peleus and Thetis, hidden by his mother to avoid a short life, though he longs for glory.
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A Story of the Golden Age
by James Baldwin · 1887
At twelve, Odysseus climbs a mountain, sees the wide world, and cannot rest until he has crossed the sea.
Medium level2–5 hours to read20 languages
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“among the most considerable moral essayists in the United States”
In short
What does a boy do when he learns that the world is far bigger than his island? On his twelfth birthday, Odysseus stands on Mount Neritus beside his tutor, the bard Phemius, and watches a map take shape in the sand.
A Story of the Golden Age at a glance
- Reading time
- About 4 h 35 min3 h 35 min fast, 5 h 25 min slow
- Length
- 65,100 words
- Library level
- Medium longer sentences, everyday words
- First published
- 1887by James Baldwin
Reading time at 238 words a minute (fast 300, slow 200). How long the classics take to read · Updated
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
A boy on a mountain sees the world
The story opens on sea-girt Ithaca, a rocky island of orchards, vineyards and sheep. King Laertes farms his own land, and his wife Anticleia spins among her maidens. Their only child is strong, quick-tongued and short in stature, and his name is Odysseus.
On his twelfth birthday the boy climbs Mount Neritus with Phemius. He sees islands and the open western sea, and he asks whether people really live in all those lands. Phemius draws a map in the sand and sings of the sun god and the Islands of the Blest. The boy is thrilled and troubled at once.
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Which edition is right for me
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Details
- First published
- 1887
- Language
- English
- Level
- Medium level
Cite this edition
Baldwin, James. A Story of the Golden Age. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/a-story-of-the-golden-age.
Baldwin, J. (2026). A story of the Golden Age. Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/a-story-of-the-golden-age (Original work published 1887)
Baldwin, James. A Story of the Golden Age. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/a-story-of-the-golden-age.
@book{baldwin2026story,
author = {Baldwin, James},
title = {A Story of the Golden Age},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/a-story-of-the-golden-age},
note = {First published 1887}
}
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What is A Story of the Golden Age about?
It follows Odysseus from his twelfth birthday on Ithaca through his youth and into the Trojan War, ending with Troy's destruction. Along the way it retells many Greek myths that explain how the Trojan War begins.
Is A Story of the Golden Age a retelling of the Iliad or the Odyssey?
No. Baldwin weaves a connected narrative that leads into the Trojan War and continues through Troy's destruction. He weaves older legends together and says that the best way to know Homer is to read Homer himself.
Who are the main characters in the book?
Odysseus, his tutor Phemius, his grandfather Autolycus, the centaur Cheiron, Penelope, Helen and Menelaus, Paris, and Achilles all play major roles, along with gods such as Apollo, Athena and Zeus.
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