Hellenic Traders
"Hellenic Traders" refers to a series of historical fiction books published by TOR and writen by H. N. Turteltaub. The books center around cousins Menedemos and Sostratos who work as seaborne traders in the years following the death of Alexander the Great. The series is notable for a high degree of historical accuracy, and gives one a real feel for what life was like back then.
The series currently consists of four books: Over the Wine Dark Sea
The same author also wrote Justinian, which takes place in the early Byzantine Empire. While not connected with the Hellenic Traders series, it still provides some fascinating history of the area.