It spans the years leading up to, during, and shortly after the legendary Battle of Thermopylae through the eyes of a Spartan helot by the name of Xeones. It shows the fortitude and strength of character required by the Spartans to defy the Persian aggressor Xerxes, buying time for their country to prepare a proper defense with their lives. Steven Pressfield does more than just tell the story of what happened during the battle of Thermopylae (which in and of itself is a phenomenal story), he uses it as a backdrop for studying the psychological makeup of what a soldier should be.
There is more philosophy in this book than one would expect from a war novel, but this is why I consider it both insightful and inspiring. Gates of Fire is told through the perspective of the Spartan helot Xeones, as he begins his training to become a soldier for Sparta, which takes several years. As the story progresses, tensions rise between Greece and Persia as Persia’s expansionist attitude threatens Greece’s freedom once again.
When word reaches King Leonidas that Xerxes, king of Persia, has crossed the straight from the Anatolian Peninsula and was on his way with a massive army to crush the Hellenic nations of Sparta and Athens, he seeks permission to mobilize a force to meet Xerxes on the field of battle and deny him entry into the Greek domain. It is at this point that Leonidas is told by the Ephors, five elected leaders of Sparta who shared power with the Spartan Kings that since the Carnean Festival was soon approaching, Leonidas would have to wait for the festival to finish in order for the main army to march to war.
The Essay on David And Goliath Lord Story Battle
David and Goliath The story of David and Goliath can be thought of as a timeless tale of 1) good versus evil and 2) the fact that the win does not always go to the strongest or biggest, it goes to the most determined or strong willed. David, the good spirited fighter who wanted to save the Israelites from Goliath, for example, was eager, confident, and prepared to win, as described in 1 Samuel 17: ...
Knowing time was of the essence with Xerxes’ army marching on Greece, Leonidas gathered a vanguard force of three hundred loyal soldiers to the narrow mountain pass at Thermopylae, dubbed the “Hot Gates” for the hot springs located there, to defend against the Persians and buy as much time as he could for the main Spartan force. After rebuilding the wall that once spanned the pass, Leonidas waited for the coming of the Persian. Xerxes arrived with a force numbering, reportedly, in the hundreds of thousands.
Using the narrowness of the pass and Spartan martial discipline to his advantage, Leonidas held his ground against the Persian invasion force for a full week. Although their prowess was widely renowned, not even the Spartans could hold against such numbers indefinitely. Leonidas and his Spartans knew this, and accepted the fact that there would be no retreat for them, that they would hold their ground to the last man, such was their dedication to each other and to the country they loved. The book comes to an end with the death of Leonidas and his Spartans, who had sacrificed everything for their country.
Their deaths were not in vain though, because soon after the battle the Carnea was finished and the full might of Sparta and her allies marched forward to avenge the death of their king. The overall lesson of the book is this: that no price is too high for freedom and liberty, and the author fully conveys the concepts of brotherhood, self-sacrifice, and commitment to one’s country and ideals. In conclusion, Stephen Pressfield, through his book, shows that service to one’s nation isn’t just a job, and that sacrifice is required by some for the greater good of the nation as a whole.
Making this story relevant for today is the consensus among historians that had it not been for this battle, serving as a delay tactic for the mobilization of the main Greek army, the Persians would have conquered Greece before the Golden Age of Athens. Thus, snuffing out the budding culture that was to bring the world the ideals of self-rule and individualism, as well as the breakthroughs in art, mathematics, philosophy and science, which form the basis for Western civilization.
The Term Paper on “Death of a Salesman” Detailed Analysis
ARTHUR MILLER Arthur Asher Miller (October 17, 1915 – February 10, 2005) was an American playwright and essayist. He was a prominent figure in American theatre, writing dramas that include plays such as All My Sons (1947), Death of a Salesman (1949), The Crucible (1953) and A View from the Bridge Miller was often in the public eye, particularly during the late 1940s, 1950s and early 1960s, ...
