Creation

1990 paperback edition
Author	Gore Vidal
Country	United States
Language	English
Genre(s)	Historical novel
Publisher	Random House
Released	1 January 1981
Media type	Print (Hardback & Paperback)
Pages	510 pp (first edition, hardback)
ISBN	ISBN 0-394-50015-6 (first edition, hardback)

Creation is an epic historical fiction novel by Gore Vidal which was published in 1981. Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ... Gore Vidal in 1948, photographed by Carl Van Vechten Eugene Luther Gore Vidal (born October 3, 1925) is a prolific, versatile American writer of novels, stage plays, screenplays, and essays, and, of late, a liberal political pundit. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... A historical novel is a novel in which the story is set among historical events, or more generally, in which the time of the action predates the lifetime of the author. ... Random House is a publishing division of the German media conglomerate Bertelsmann based in New York City. ... A hardcover (or hardback or hardbound) book is bound with rigid protective covers (typically of cardboard covered with cloth or heavy paper) and a stitched spine. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article may require cleanup. ... A historical novel is a novel in which the story is set among historical events, or more generally, where the time the action takes place in predates the time of the first publication -- distinguish and contrast the genre of alternate history. ... A novel (from French nouvelle Italian novella, new) is an extended, generally fictional narrative, typically in prose. ... Gore Vidal in 1948, photographed by Carl Van Vechten Eugene Luther Gore Vidal (born October 3, 1925) is a prolific, versatile American writer of novels, stage plays, screenplays, and essays, and, of late, a liberal political pundit. ... 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Plot summary

The plot follows the adventures of an imaginary Persian diplomat in the 5th century BC, Cyrus Spitama, who travels the known world comparing the political and religious beliefs of various nation states of the time, and meeting influential philosophical figures such as Zoroaster, Socrates, the Buddha, Mahavira, Lao Tsu, and Confucius. As the grandson of Zoroaster, he grows up in the Persian court as a quasi-noble, and became a close friend of his schoolmate Xerxes. Because of his talent with languages, Cyrus Spitama is sent by the Great King Darius as ambassador to India, but he is more interested in the many religious theories he encounters there than in establishing profitable trade relations for Darius. After Xerxes comes to power, he sends Cyrus Spitama to China, where he spends several years as a captive and "honored guest" in one of the warring states of the Middle Kingdom, and spends a great deal of time with Confucious. On his return to Persia, he witnesses the downfall of Xerxes. He goes into retirement, but is called upon by the Great King Artaxerxes to serve as ambassador to Athens and witness to the secret peace treaty between Pericles and the Persian king. The book is Cyrus Spitama's supposed account of his own experiences, as told to his Greek great-nephew Democritus, with which he wants to set the record straight after hearing Herodotus' speak about the Persian Wars. The Persian Empire was a series of historical empires that ruled over the Iranian plateau, the old Persian homeland, and at times extending into central and mid-east Asia. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Socrates (Greek: , invariably anglicized as , Sǒcratēs; circa 470–399 BC) was an ancient Greek philosopher who is widely credited for laying the foundation for Western philosophy. ... Media:Example. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Lao Zi (also spelled Laozi, Lao Tzu, or Lao Tse) was a famous Chinese philosopher who is believed to have lived in approximately the 4th century BC, during the Hundred Schools of Thought and Warring States Periods. ... Confucius (Chinese: ; pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Kung-fu-tzu, lit. ...

Major themes

Vidal evokes a theme which Robert Graves had previously explored, a skepticism of the reported facts and interpretations of our understanding of History as reported by the winners of its battles. The story features a rather amusingly sarcastic treatment of the pretensions of the glory of Classical Golden Age of Athens. In the parts of the book that comment on history, Vidal makes obvious use of the Histories of Herodotus. Portrait of Robert Graves (circa 1974) by Rab Shiell Robert von Ranke Graves (24 July 1895 – 5 November 1955) was an English poet, scholar, and novelist. ... History studies the past in human terms. ... Nickname: City of Athena or Cradle of Democracy Location of the city of Athens (red dot) within the Prefecture of Athens and Periphery of Attica Coordinates: Country Greece Peripheries Attica Prefecture Athens Founded circa 2000 BC Mayor Nikitas Kaklamanis Area    - City 38. ... The Histories of Herodotus of Halicarnassus is considered the first work of history in Western literature. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

As noted in Vidal's own introduction, it can be considered a "crash course" in comparative religion, as during the story, the hero sits down with each of the religious/philosophical figures (apart from Socrates) and discusses their views. Comparative religion is a field of religious study that analyzes the interpretive differences of common themes, myths, rituals and concepts among the worlds religions. ...

Literary significance & criticism

Creation is not generally regarded by critics as one of Vidal's more influential works.^{[citation needed]}

Historical significance & criticism

In the story, Darius is portrayed as a usurper who murdered King Cambyses and stole the throne from the rightful heir Prince Smerdis, in collusion with Queen Atossa. This revisionist viewpoint, whatever its merit, is not supported by historical facts. Seal of Darius I, showing the king hunting on his chariot, and the symbol of Ahuramazda Darius the Great (Pers. ... Cambyses II (Persian Kambujiya (کمبوجیه), d. ... Smerdis was a Persian king of infamous memory. ... Atossa or Hutaosa (550 BC-475 BC) was a Queen consort of Persia. ... Revisionism is a word which has several meanings. ...