Gates Of Fire: An Epic Novel Of The Battle Of Thermopylae (2005) - Plot & Excerpts
The qualities of a good battle squire are simple enough. He must be dumb as a mule, numb as a post and obedient as an imbecile. In these qualifications, Xeones of Astakos, I declare your credentials impeccable.This is how Xeones, one of the main characters of the book, is described at some time in the story. Ironically the entire book revolves around this helot character who ends up being an eye witness of the battle of Thermopylae. The book itself tries to be an historical reference intercalated with a fictional plot. The use of Greek words in their Anglicized form makes the atmosphere of the book even more credible but sometimes this could confuse the reader. As an example take “katalepsis “ who according to the author means: ‘possession, meaning that derangement of the senses that comes when terror or anger usurps dominion of the mind’. The problem was that I knew the word to mean grasp or comprehension but who knows may be it is a homonym. The story is complex and engaging, the characters credibly portrayed and the environment vividly described. But the dialogs are the ones which make the book entertaining. The combined extrospection and introspection of each character which is exteriorized through words tries to be deep and profound but at the same time laconic as the Spartans usually like it:- Answer this, Alexandros. When our countrymen triumph in battle, what is it that defeats the foe?- Our steel and our skill.- These, yes but something more. It is that …- Fear, their own fear defeats our enemies- Now answer. What is the source of fear? (no response) -Fear arises from this: the flesh. This is the factory of fear.At the same time the book exposes the difference between the cultures of some ancient Greek city-states. For example the oligarchic Sparta is compared with the democratic Athena so that the Spartan way of leaving is better contoured. At some time one can even perceive a cult of personality created around one of their original law makers Lycurgus:We have embraced the laws of Lykurgus, and they are stern laws. They have schooled us to scorn the life of leisure, which this rich land of ours would bestow upon us if we wished, and instead to enrol ourselves in the academy of discipline and sacrifice.And which is more they see themselves different from the others because they think they found a way to overcome some of the flows of the human being usually by having 3 main principles: peer equality, military discipline and austerity. In their opinion the human character is by default corrupt:Man is weak, greedy, craven, lustful, prey to every species of vice and depravity. He will lie, steal, cheat, murder, melt down the very statues of the gods and coin their gold as money for whores. This is man. This is his nature, as all the poets attest. Because their society is built on some form of military philosophy most of the males are trained, early in their lives, to be soldiers through a program called agoge. They realize that in order to have the best army the need some principles to breed one. So they start at the roots, the babies.After birth the babies are thoroughly scrutinized and if they don’t fit the pattern they are left to die. This cruel way of filtering can be easily viewed as an early form of eugenics and is mostly missing from the book. (at least don’t remember it ) But to have strong offspring in the first place they believe they need strong mothers. In order to achieve this they tolerate a wider independence level for females than it’s usually seen in the other Greek poleis( city-states). Spartan women are also encouraged to walk through the city or do gymnastics:They were dams, these ladies, wives and mothers whose primary calling was to produce boys who would grow to be warriors and heroes, defenders of the city. Spartan women were brood mares, the pampered damsels of other cities might scoff, but if they were mares, they were racers, Olympic champions. The athletic glow and vigour which the gynaikagoge, the women’s training discipline, produced in them was powerful stuff and they knew it.Religion is an absolutely important aspect of their society and to be somehow agnostic or even an atheist is rarely seen. This is superbly presented at some time in the book :Dekton was the first person I had ever met, man or boy, who had absolutely no fear of the gods. He didn’t hate them as some do, or mock their antics as I had heard the impious freethinkers did in Athens and Corinth. Dekton didn’t grant their existence at all. There were no gods, it was as simple as that. This struck me with a kind of awe. I kept watch, waiting for him to be felled by some hideous blow of heaven.In the end the book turned out to be an incredible ride through the first part of the second Persian invasion of Greece. Because of the historical references and the emotion behind the brother-in-arms phenomenon it can’t be easily forgotten. Ironically the “few stand against many “ concept reflected at Thermopylae blends perfectly with their oligarchical (Spartan) system, where oligarchy means: power in the hands of the few. But we are lead to believe that this few really deserve itA king does not abide within his tent while his men bleed and die upon the field. A king does not dine while his men go hungry, nor sleep when they stand at watch upon the wall. A king does not command his men’s loyalty through fear nor purchase it with gold; he earns their love by the sweat of his own back and the pains he endures for their sake. That which comprises the harshest burden, a king lifts first and sets down last. A king does not require service of those he leads but provides it to them. He serves them, not they him.
"War, not peace, produces virtue. War, not peace, purges vice. War, and preparation for war, call forth all that is noble and honorable in a man. It unites him with his brothers and binds them in selfless love, eradicating in the crucible of necessity all which is base and ignoble. There in the holy mill of murder the meanest of men may seek find that part of himself, concealed beneath the corrupt, which shines forth brilliant and virtuous, worthy of honor before the gods. Do not despise war, my young friend, nor delude yourself that mercy and compassion are virtues superior to audreia, to manly valor.""The supreme accomplishment of the warrior: to perform the commonplace under far-from-commonplace conditions. Not only to achieve this for oneself alone, as Achilles or the solo champions of yore, but to do it as part of a unit, to feel about oneself one's brothers-in-arms.""When a warrior fights not for himself, but for his brothers, when his most passionately sought goal is neither glory nor his own life’s preservation, but to spend his substance for them, his comrades, not to abandon them, not to prove unworthy of them, then his heart truly has achieved contempt for death, and with that he transcends himself and his actions touch the sublime. That is why the true warrior cannot speak of battle save to his brothers who have been there with him. This truth is too holy, too sacred, for words.""A king does not abide within his tent while his men bleed and die upon the field. A king does not dine while his men go hungry, not sleep when they stand at watch upon a wall. A king does not command his men’s loyalty through fear nor purchase it with gold; he earns their love by the sweat of his own back and the pains he endures for their sake. That which comprises the harshest burden, a king lifts first and sets down last. A king does not require service of those he leads but provides it to them. He serves them, not they him….A king does not expend his substance to enslave men, but by his conduct and example makes them free. I set down my life with gladness, and would do it again a hundred times….I and every man there were never more free than when we gave freely obedience to those harsh laws which take life and give it back again."“Do you hate them, Dienekies?“ The king asked…Dienekes answered at once that he did not. “I see faces of gentle and noble bearing. More than a few, I think, whom one would welcome with a clap and a laugh to any table of friends.”Leonidas clearly approved my master’s answer. His eyes seemed, however, darkened with sorrow. “I am sorry for them,” he avowed, indicating the valiant foeman who stood so proximately across. “What wouldn’t they give, the noblest among them, to stand here with us now?”I LOVED this book. I have never been to war, but this may be the closest I could come without going... I am in awe of the author and his ability to provide such amazing insight into these men without that introspection undermining the masculinity being conveyed. The battle of Thermopylae not only but also the battle within men's hearts, against phobos or fear. Honor and nobility, self-sacrifice, discipline, love and death. Knowing how the book was going to end only enhanced the reading and respect for these real live men! My first thoughts when I finished this book was a desire to see the monument that stands to mark this historical battle...then, a desire for my sons to read it when they are old enough.*Not for young readers* due to language, general coarseness, and the brutality of war.That being said- I highly recommend this book!
What do You think about Gates Of Fire: An Epic Novel Of The Battle Of Thermopylae (2005)?
Gates of Fire is one of my favorite books...ever. I first read it back when I was in the Marine Corps. It was on the Commandant’s Reading List for a time - required reading for any motivated teufelhund. The author himself is a former Marine, and draws upon his experiences to create a compellingly insightful look at the mental and psychological makeup of a soldier. The concepts of self-sacrifice, service, community, camaraderie, and duty are the thematic core of this historic novel. 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 at times inspiring…even after the fifth read. This is a great book for anyone who is thinking of, or soon will be joining military service. Anyone wishing to gain insight on how a military is supposed to function should read this book. Anyone wishing insight to the mind of a soldier should read this book. Those who are confused as to why a friend or loved one wants to join the military can very likely gain their answers from this book.
—Randy
Where to begin? The Gates of Fire, in my mind, is the best historical fiction novel that I have ever read. I have read over a 1000 at the very least. I have enjoyed reading it many times over. His entire Greek series is excellent - until he stumbles in his Afghan Campaign IMO (Where he cannot resist comparing the ancient Greek soldiers to today's "trooper/squadie" fighting in the quagmire of the endless Globalist imperial wars for profit.)However, that Pressfield is a reactionary and a militarist is a fact. When you read this book, you should understand this about him. His character's stentorian cries of freedom seem shallow when you understand the nature of Sparta. His Xeones vs. Rooster is a stilted glimpse of the true condition of the Spartan controlled helot. We are almost made to often forget, that neither of them are true helots and we meet no helots in the book as major characters. Sparta is the most slave driven state society of the all the Greek states. Beyond the context of a united region fighting an invading force, it is important to understand, while the Spartans were a culture that had many attributes (which Pressfield tends to focus on), they were at the same time flawed by their own particular form of slavery (the helot system) and a closed hierarchical societal system. A system that was designed to resist change via the Laws of Lycurgus (by the way, my fathers first name). These same laws, in about hundred years, would directly lead to their rightful downfall as a Greek power. Simply put, the Sparta was a designed reactionary state and was a social anachronism whose time would be shortly passed by in history for good reason. To only glorify them as to what was best in Classical Greek man/culture of the time, is wrong IMO. They were feared and detested for good reason by most other Greeks and Greek states. Know this.Many have complained about the books facts in their reviews. Does it matter that all the facts are correct? No, we will never know all the facts of the ancient Greeks and their history. Let this go.Nor, am I surprised to see the reviews by people on here from our military. I would hope, they question the contents of this book beyond an endorsement of or a model to strive for in their chosen profession. And that they try to understand, the limits of the word freedom that is tossed about too freely today and in this book. Don't be confused by what seems all glory, courage and selfless sacrifice. Sparta will always stand forth as an antithesis of freedom in the minds of men for good cause. Sparta is what enlightened peoples and nations should strive not to be.P.S. Beyond the ranting: Pressfield's inclusion of the metaphysical is a fine spice in this book - one that makes it so much better, IMO. Meeting the Far Striker and being in Charon's line and the like, are super touches. Without which, the book would be greatly diminished.
—T Moore
“Here dead lie we because we did not chooseTo live and shame the land from which we sprungLife to be sure is nothing much to looseBut young men think it is and we were young”What motivates men to lay down their lives in war…is it love for the country, motivation of leaders, zeal to defend your loved ones or to attain glory by martyrdom. You have cases of Banzai charge of Japanese soldiers or their Kamikaze Air attacks. Closer home you have the last stand of 21 Sikhs who valiantly defended their post and chose to fight to death against 10,000 Afghans at Saragarhi in the year 1897 or soldiers of Major Shaitan Singh’s C Company of 13th Kumaon battalion who in the 1962 Indo-China war fought to the last man last bullet at Rezang La.Gates of Fire is a work of Historic fiction and recreates the buildup to the epic Battle of Thermopyleae in the year 480 BC where the vastly outnumbered Greeks led by Spartan King Leonidas fought the Persians led by King Xerxes. After 2 days of being decimated by the Greeks the Persians found a roundabout pass and used it to flank the Greeks. When the threat of being surrounded became clear, King Leonidas ordered the rest of the Greek contingent back while valiantly defending the pass till his dying breath with his 300 Spartans, 400 Thebans and 700 Thespians The Thespians refused to obey Leonida’s order to retreat choosing instead to fight and die with the Spartans as a simple act of self-sacrifice.On the last day of the battle the Greeks were killed to the last man. They fought with their spear and swords and when their weapons were shattered they fought with their bare hands and teeth. The Greeks inflicted close to 20,000 fatalities among the Persians.The Greek’s intention was to form a rearguard to delay the Persians as much as possible thereby saving the bulk of the Greek army which would live to fight another day. The following year the Greeks defeated the Persians in the decisive battle of Salamis and the battle of Plataea thereby ending the Persian invasion.The story is told from the eyes of Greek Xenos who is captured by the Persians after the battle of Thermopylae and tasked by Xerxes to recount the tale of the brave Spartans. Each character of the story is clearly etched out, be it Xenos himself or Alexandros, or Dienekes, or Polynikes or Rooster or King Leonidas.In my opinion, more than the story of the last stand of the Spartans this book is an object lesson in military leadership and should be a compulsory read at all military academies. The soldier’s traits of self-control, discipline, the officer’s traits of leading by example, leading from the front, not to panic while facing overwhelming odds…the list is endless and each facet gets a clear demonstration in this storyThere are sermons in almost each chapter, sample this:“A King does not abide within his tent when his men bleed and die upon the field. A king does not dine when his men go hungry nor sleep when they stand to watch upon the wall. A king does not command his men’s loyalty through fear nor purchase it with gold, he earns their love by the sweat of his own back and the pains he endures for their sake”When death becomes imminent Leonidas tells his men “What will remain of the Spartans? Not monuments of marble or bronze but this, what we do here today”. “Here is what you do friends. Forget country, forget king, forget wife and children and freedom. Forget every concept however noble that you imagine you fight for here today. Act for this alone: for the man who stands at your shoulder. He is everything”.“In one way only have the Gods permitted mortals to surpass them, Man may give that which the Gods cannot, his life. My own I set down with joy for you friends who have become the brothers I no longer possess.The book also pays homage to the most fearless of all, the mothers and wives who smilingly bid farewell to their sons and husbands going to war. You feel sorry for these men and the families they leave behind with no hope whatsoever of seeing them again. This may probably be the only War book I have read wherein the women are revered more than men when it comes to bravery and self-sacrifice.If you think the machismo appeal of the movie 300 was sufficient in itself, think again. Unlike the movie which is almost scene to scene rendition of the graphic novel, the book “Gates of Fire” will enlighten you about the warrior code of the brave Spartans in a battle which has arguably been named as history’s most famous last stand.
—Dhiraj Sharma
