Mantinea: A Trans-Cultural Adventure

By D Raymond-Wryhte

Mantinea is the name of the novel's city-state, a community of 1400 people. Nearly all business enterprises as well as the institutions of government, medicine, art, and education are controlled by women. Society is strictly segregated. Women (and their children) live within the city walls; men are required to live outside.

The story commences on the day when a teen-aged male named Dennis celebrates his ostracism. With certain exceptions, no adult males are allowed to live within the city. At the time of becoming an adult, males are given their freedom to live - and die - in the outlands.

The family of Dennis attends the ceremony, and this includes his "brother" named Theodore. Theodore is an intelligent, well-educated, and - as it turns out - highly gifted teenager. During the ceremony, he issues an oracle. No one knows what he says, not even Theodore himself. The oracle is in a language other than English. The oracle causes a stir, but the ceremony proceeds, and Dennis is escorted by Amazon soldiers outside the city.

From this point, the narrative alternates between telling the experiences of Theodore inside the city and those of Dennis outside. Dennis is learning the ways of barbarian men. Theodore keeps issuing oracles, and the women of the city, particularly the high priestess who is named Diotima, try to determine what he is saying and doing. The issue then becomes whether the people of the society-and the reader-really want to know the truth of what Theodore is saying: prophecies calling the people to consider anew ancient words pertaining to truth, beauty, and goodness ... and most especially, love.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1099877164
• ISBN13: 9781099877162
• Release Date: May 2019
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 502 Pages
• Weight: 1.46 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 6.0" x 9.0"