Step into the marble streets of ancient Athens alongside Hiero, a spirited Athenian boy growing up during the golden age of Pericles. In Our Little Athenian Cousin of Long Ago, readers follow Hiero as he welcomes his “guest-friend” Duris, and together the boys explore a city reaching the height of its artistic and architectural glory. From training at the wrestling school to witnessing the magnificent Panathenaea festival and the building of the Parthenon, the bustling world of classical Greece comes alive.
 
However, Hiero’s life of peaceful study and athletic training is shattered when the Spartan army invades, forcing him to face the bitter realities of war and the tragic loss of his father. Guided by the ideals of his city, Hiero travels to the sacred Olympic Games, determined to honor his father’s memory in the ultimate test of speed and endurance.