Diennekes the platoon leader said that the opposite of fear is love. If it is, the Spartans truly loved their city and their ideals. It was absolutely unreal the lengths they went to in battle with the Persians. This was about 100 years before Alexander would ultimately crush the Persians. At this time, they were the dominant force on earth, with a territory from India to Asia Minor and Egypt. Because of the Greek city-state in fighting, the Greeks didn’t get their act together for quite a while and squandered valuable men, weapons, food and other resources in the years preceding their war with Persia. It took that threat to bring them together.

For the Persians, the idea of democracy (government by the people) was unheard of and unfathomable. Greek kings were down-to-earth types who literally led their men into battle. The citizens (all men of a certain birth) were active participants in government and war. The Persian king was a sacred personage and most people couldn’t even look directly at him, never mind him leading them into battle. He stayed far away from the battlefield, observing it from his covered dais.

This tale, like the tale of Alexander’s Persian boy, is told from a servant’s perspective. Xeo is so in awe of the Spartans that he somehow gets in with them and becomes the squire of Diennekes, a peer of Sparta. The role of the squire is to do everything for a warrior that will free up the warrior’s time for training and exercises. The squire accompanies the soldier into battle to bear weapons, repair gear, dress and fetch and otherwise support the soldier. They are not paid. Neither are the forced. It’s a strange position, part servant, part dog part soldier.

The unbelievable bravery and staunch conviction of the Spartan warriors is amazing. The descriptions of the battles themselves was gut wrenching. The blood, sweat, mud, noise, pus, snot and sheer brutality is something that I doubt people today could endure. These men were literally battered to death slowly over a period of many battles (if they survived at all). Having to fight standing on the bodies of the slain. Stacking them up in a wall to discourage and frighten the enemy. Diennekes fought with one eye gouged out of his head. Alexandros had his hand lopped off and then cauterized with a sword heated up and held flat against the stump, and still he went on. Another man was shot in both shoulders and he still went on the raiding mission to kill King Xerxes of Persia, crawling up stone escarpments on his belly like a snake.

And the women – what a horrid lot most of them had. Greek women in general were treated worse than dogs, but Spartan women were expected to take it with unwavering fortitude. No tears. No grief. No relief in the outpouring of emotion. They were only valued if they could produce sons. Typical. But in another sense, the men relied on their backbone to fortify the whole community. If the city saw them crying or grieving, they would all lose heart and wouldn’t be able to stand against the enemy. The men asked them to bear their unrelenting sorrow of their men dying, because they could. They saw that as true courage because they contained themselves in the face of their more nurturing and caring natures. It was natural for men to be aggressive and want to fight, so the bravery of the battlefield was somehow less than the bravery of the women because that bravery went against their nature. Someday I would very much like to visit Thermopylae (the Hot Gates) to see for myself. ( )

Great book about Battle of Thermopylae.Great characters and sheer intensity of battle scenes and war waging in the ancient world is what will become Mr. Pressfields trademark in his historical novels.

Recommended. ( )

This one almost wasn't fair.

I'm a huge fan of historical fiction. The battle of the pass at Thermopylae still stands as one of the most awe inspiring tactical encounters the world has ever seen and proof that often the truth is more incredible than fiction.

The story follows a young man who grows into adult-hood and follows him into the epic battle itself, one of the fight's sole survivors. Asked to retell his life's story to the Persian's after the fight. It's this story when delivered to Xerxes that causes him to lose heart and abandon his invasion of Greece and leave it in lesser hands.

Rarely is a story told that's truly as epic as this and Steven Pressfield does it great justice by keeping it as "real" and believable as possible. He carries you onto the battlefield, puts you at the edge of your seat while you live the fight through his words.

Read it. ( )

When I first started reading this, I must say I wasn't all that into it. The format was a little strange and it took me a few pages just to get my bearings, and then it took me awhile until I really became attached to the main character, Xeones. However, once the ball got rolling, it quickly became one of my favorite historical fiction novels I've ever read.

The author does an excellent job of bringing the Spartans to life. It's one of those books where you look up from the pages and you almost feel like you really were just there, and when you are not reading it you are eager to reenter the setting the first chance you get. The story, despite the fact that you know how it ends, was absolutely addicting. I was at the end of the book, reading through the Battle of Thermopylae, knowing how it was going to end, and I didn't care one bit. I just couldn't put it down.

This isn't just a book with likable characters and a good story though, it also has a terrific amount of insight on the Spartan way of life. From their daily and brutal training sessions and battle formations, to their views on valor and honor and how they overcome fear on the battlefields, by the end of the book I felt like I really knew some of these Spartans.

I was also very much inspired by these people. The camaraderie of the soldiers and the dedication even the squires have for their city is very inspirational. I'd read about their barbaric practices on one page and be glad things are not like that now and then read about their love for their city and neighbors on the next and be envious. Their way of life may have been extreme, but their way of thinking was inspiring.

The book really has everything, and it does it all so well. It's hard not to give it 5 stars. ( )

I enjoyed this book. It was interesting from the start and kept my interest throughout the book. Earlier this year I read the history of this story in The Landmark Herodotus. The importance of the Greco-Persian war contributed to my interest in the book. I am sure my reading made it easier for me to concentrate on the part of the book that describes the life of a Spartan.
It is stated but not emphasized that Sparta was a slave society. That held true for a lot of the world in those times. Xeo, The narrator, is a slave but he is proud of being a Spartan slave.
Uniquely Spartan was the practice of housing men in dormitories beginning at the age of seven when the agoge, a period of military training, begins. This continued through adulthood and was somewhat similar to the way of life portrayed by Plato in the Republic. As the only Greeks who trained for war full time the Spartans were very effective soldiers. They ruled on land while Athens ruled the sea.
Discussion of philosophy is also a big part of the book. Dienekes, the Peer for whom Xeo is a squire, ponders the question; What is the opposite of fear? throughout the book. He does reach the answer. Generally the tenor of discussion is basic and very serious. On the third day of the battle, when everyone knows they will die, the discussion of the situation is as much of the story as the fighting. It would appear from this book that the level of serious thought in Plato's Dialogues was common in ancient Greece.
The battle scenes in the book are every bit as gory as the Iliad. They are told from the point of view of a participant and convey very well the action of hoplite warfare. Much of the battle consisted of getting behind your shield and pushing on the soldier in front of you. When you were on the front you skewered the enemy with your eight footer or sliced him open with a xiphos.
The book is not just about the battles. There are also some personal relationships woven through the story. The author does a good job portraying the role of women in Greek society. In the sphere of the family they were powerful and in a speech at the end of the book the King makes it clear how important they were to Sparta.
This is a good book to learn some of the day to day details of Greek life. It is a very flattering portrayal of Sparta. Personally I prefer the Athenian way of life to the Spartan regimen but in the war between the two many Greeks supported Sparta. Sparta personified the older, simpler and more virtuous way of life. ( )