Just Finished Reading: Gates of Fire by Steven Pressfield
This was the tale of the battle of Thermopylae – arguable one of if not the most important battles in Western history - where the 300 Spartans and their other Greek allies fought the combined armies of Persia (rumoured to be as many as 2 million men) for three days. Told from the point of view of a surviving Helot slave it related events leading up to the battle as well as the awful reality of hoplite warfare itself. Often brutally bloody but brimming with dark humour – as well as an impressive amount of swearing – this was a very well written piece of work.
Pressfield had obviously put a great deal of time and effort in making this book as accurate as possible. Speaking to experts in the field he put together a believable world and populated it with real historical characters and others to bring alive a long dead age of heroes and the Gods they worshiped. Although he did not shirk from the harsh realities of the time and place the author presented the Spartans in a highly sympathetic way as the admirable warrior elite of their day. Though ruthless by today’s standards Sparta was in many ways ahead of its time in its treatment of women and the treatment of its citizens. But like every other city state of the time it had a huge slave population with everything that entailed.
This was an immensely enjoyable book. If you liked (or in my case loved) the movie 300 you will most certainly like this book. Gripping, moving, exciting and heart wrenching it is almost guaranteed to start a love affair with the Ancient world that you may not recover from. An excellent novel and highly recommended.
3 comments:
Gates of Fire! I bought this book ages ago based on all the good things I'd heard, but I've yet to read it. Good to hear another positive recommendation...
I loved 300, so it'll be nice to have a more accurate take on the subject matter. Interesting you bring up the slave issue - one of the dubious aspects of the film was how it goes on about 'freedom' and never acknowledges the presence of slaves. Though I suppose people who had slaves would have considered them 'sub human' and therefore not entitled to the same rights.
AM said: I loved 300, so it'll be nice to have a more accurate take on the subject matter.
Well... It's still fictional so it may be more accurate than 300 (that's pretty much a given) but its still not a history book. It *feels* right though. I do have a few history books about Sparta & the battle itself which I shall be reading at some point - when I find the time [grin].
AM said: Interesting you bring up the slave issue - one of the dubious aspects of the film was how it goes on about 'freedom' and never acknowledges the presence of slaves.
Slaves were a huge part of the economy not only in Sparta but in democratic Athens too (a democracy were only men could vote of course!). Slaves were seen largely as beasts of burden and usually viewed as 'naturally' in that position. A few people apparently had doubts about the morality of slavery - but on the whole it didn't really bother most people.
AM said: Though I suppose people who had slaves would have considered them 'sub human' and therefore not entitled to the same rights.
I don't think that many City States had any concept of Rights the way we understand the term. Most cities had a criteria for citizenship over and above just being born there. Usually this involved owning a certain amount of property or fighting in the army/navy in defence of the State. Both slaves and women (and often the poor masses) were considered not to be citizens by even the most 'enlightened' city states. It was a whole different world back then.
"It was a whole different world back then."
It sure was... and despite all of the crap there is to complain about in the here and now, I wouldn't ever want to experience those 'good old days'... :)
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