Alcestis by Euripides

"Alcestis" is a Greek tragedy that tells the story of a queen who voluntarily chooses to die in place of her husband, the king, when he is fated to die early. The king's friend, Heracles, visits them and, unaware of the queen's death, is offended that he is not being properly entertained. Upon learning the truth, he fights and defeats Death to bring the queen back to life, restoring happiness to the royal household. The play explores themes of love, sacrifice, death, and the power of friendship.

The 1949th greatest book of all time


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Total Points: 189

Since this book was first published in -438, there is a penalty of 0%. The age adjusted score is 189.0.

This is to prevent newer books from reaching super high on the ranked list of the greatest books of all time. The greatest books should also stand the test of time.