This book, The Secret History, tells a story of a group of students who take a seminar called “The Mystery of Antiquity” at a small college in Vermont. Richard Papen, is the protagonist and our narrator. He is the only outsider to the group of five characters who are only interested in the study of Ancient Greece. Within the seminar, they discuss philosophy and literature; some of the topics are “The Power of Necessity in Ancient Thought”, “The Golden Age of Greece”, and even “The Power of Dionysian Ritual.” The group of five (Camo, Henry, Bunny, Francis, and Charles) has a history that Richard is not privy to, and he slowly begins to learn about their dark secrets.
In chapter one, we are introduced to Richard Papen as he arrives in Hampden College, Vermont. He is a California transplant, coming to a new place with a goal of finding something the world hasn't yet seen. He is quickly drawn in to a mysterious seminar titled “The Mystery of Antiquity” and a secret society of five students: Camilla, Henry, Bunny, Francis, and Charles; they are the only students enrolled in the seminar. Through his conversations with Camilla, Richard discovers that the group has a mysterious past. They were friends and classmates since elementary school, and seemed to be going down a dark path when they attended Hampden.
In chapter two, Richard meets with the other students in the seminar and begins to learn about their lives. He also comes to understand why they are so fond of ancient Greece and why they want to keep their life private from everyone. We learn that each of them is a very talented scholar, and each has a unique and somewhat troubled background. Richard starts to suspect that underneath their charming exteriors, they are concealing something from him.
In chapter three, Richard is invited to an off-campus gathering at a mansion by one of the other students. Richard is intrigued by their strange rituals and discussions of the ancient world. At the gathering, he discovers the group’s secret. They are all wealthy, from influential, powerful families, and have an exclusive “club” that they center their lives and studies around.
In chapter four, Richard quickly discovers that the club is more than just a hobby for them. Their intense study of the ancient world forms a sinister plan – they are plotting revenge against someone, and Richard finds himself in the middle of their plans.
In chapter five, Richard’s suspicions of why they are convening in secret are confirmed and he is asked to join their club. He is given an ultimatum – if he decides not to join, they will go ahead without him, but if he does join, he will have to swear an oath of secrecy and agree to keep their plot a secret from everyone, even the college.
In chapter six, Richard agrees to join the club and takes part in a ritual that involves the consumption of hallucinogenic drugs. Through this ritual, he is made privy to the club’s dark secrets. He discovers that their plan is to exact revenge on someone they feel has wronged them and that it is an ancient Greek ritual they will be using to carry out their plan.
In chapter seven, Richard is given a task to carry out in order to prove his loyalty to the club. After succeeding, he is accepted as a full member and the group begins to make preparations for their plan of revenge. Richard is certainly concerned by the esoteric and dangerous nature of their plan, but he is also fascinated and eager to prove himself to his new friends.
In the final chapter, the group successfully carries out their revenge and escapes back to the college without any witnesses knowing what they did. However, this moment of triumph is soon overshadowed by the realization of the grave wrong they have done. They had all put so much trust in one another, and now that trust has been broken. No longer a part of the group, Richard decides to leave Hampden and go back to California a changed man. He has finally discovered the secrets of the past and the power of friendship to bring people together in very dark times.
