A Son of the Gods by Ambrose Bierce
A Son of the Gods is a novella written by Ambrose Bierce in 1873. The story follows the journey of a man named Dionysius, who is born to a mortal woman and a god. Dionysius struggles with his identity as a demigod and faces challenges from both the mortal and divine realms. Throughout the novella, Bierce explores themes of identity, morality, and the nature of the gods.
By Ambrose Bierce · First published 1873 · Genre: War Fiction, Historical Fiction, Short Stories · 3,062 words
First lines
A breezy day and a sunny landscape. An open country to right and left and forward; behind, a wood. In the edge of this wood, facing the open but not venturing into it, long lines of troops halted. The wood is alive with them, and full of confused noises: the occasional rattle of wheels as a battery of artillery goes into position to cover the advance; the hum and murmur of the soldiers talking; a sound of innumerable feet in the dry leaves that strew the interspaces among the trees; hoarse commands of officers. Detached groups of horsemen are well in front -- not altogether exposed -- many of them intently regarding the crest of a hill a mile away in the direction of the interrupted advance. For this powerful army, moving in battle order through a forest, has met with a formidable obstacle -- the open country. The crest of that gentle hill a mile away has a sinister look; it says, Beware! Along it runs a stone wall extending to left and right a great distance.
What this Textopian page supports
A Son of the Gods is listed on Textopian as a short story by Ambrose Bierce, dated 1873 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Short story
- Author: Ambrose Bierce
- Date: 1873 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: War Fiction, Historical Fiction, Short Stories
- Length: 3,062 words
- Structure: 1 section, 24 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Standard (8th-9th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for A Son of the Gods by Ambrose Bierce
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph
Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering A Son of the Gods?
- How does this short story by Ambrose Bierce fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does War Fiction first become important in the reading?
Similar titles
- Genesis by Ambrose Bierce
- Philosopher Bimm by Ambrose Bierce
- The Unchanged Diplomatist by Ambrose Bierce
- The Chaplain Of The Tower by Bernard Capes
- The Disinterested Arbiter by Ambrose Bierce
- A Protagonist Of Silver by Ambrose Bierce
Genres
- War Fiction — The story of 'A Son of the Gods' revolves around a soldier in the American Civil War, making it part of the War Fiction genre.
- Historical Fiction — The book's setting during the American Civil War period puts it in the Historical Fiction genre.
- Short Stories — 'A Son of the Gods' is a short narrative, qualifying it as a Short Story.
Tags
Fantasy · Mythology · Supernatural · Adventure · Historical Fiction · Allegory · Symbolism · Satire · Social Commentary · Horror · Gothic · Psychological Thriller