Gates Of Fire

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I had never seen the city in such a state as in the aftermath of that debacle. Heroes with prizes of valor skulked about, while their women snapped at them with scorn and held themselves aloof and disdainful […] To marshal such a magnificent force, garland it before the gods, transport it all that way and not draw blood, even one’s own, this was not merely disgraceful but, the wives declared, blasphemous.

For what can be more noble than to slay oneself? Not literally. Not with a blade in the guts. But to extinguish the selfish self within, that part which looks only to its own preservation, to save its own skin. That, I saw, was the victory you Spartans had gained over yourselves. That was the glue. It was what you had learned and it made me stay, to learn it too.”What inspired you to write the characters that you chose? Which ones were planned (and why) and which just came along in the writing? Gates of Fire tells the tale of Thermopyalae. How a small number of Spartans and allies historically stood against the hordes of the Persian Empire at "The Hot Gates". This is told as a chronicle, by a survivor of the battle, so that they are recounting their own small role in this landmark and history-changing battle as well as the roles of those around him. It is a coming of age story as we learn how our narrator found himself in this position, from his childhood to the battle itself. In addition to understanding why we train the way we do as you read Gates of Fire , I recommend that new leaders also focus their reading on the characters of Dienekes and Leonidas. The responsibility that new officers will face in their roles as a platoon commander is likely to be significantly greater than anything they have experienced in previous leadership roles in their life. Learning how to study and observe successful leaders with the purpose of identifying what has made them so influential and considering how their actions could be applied within your personal leadership style is an empowering ability, and these characters can serve as two initial case studies in leadership. But the book goes further than just the names, dates, and places; it is not "history" in the strictest sense, though it strives for such accuracy as historical records can offer. More so Gates of Fire delves into the why and the wherefore: why did these men go, knowing they would die? how were they able to stand and fight knowing that eventually they would be butchered where they stood? what could possibly have motivated the greatest "Alamo" the world has ever known? The book excels in this effort, bringing the concepts of the heroic into terms that the average reader can immediately grasp, or at least imagine. The goddess unbound her veil and let it fall. Will you understand, Xeo, if I say that what was revealed, the face beyond the veil, was nothing less than that reality which exists beneath the world of flesh? […] I understood that our roles as humans was to embody here, upon this shadowed and sorrow-bound side of the Veil, those qualities which arise from beyond and are the same on both sides, ever-sustaining, eternal and divine. Do you understand, Xeo? Courage, selflessness, compassion and love.”

High above the armies, a man of between thirty and forty years could be descried plainly, in robes of purple fringed with gold, mounting the platform and assuming his station upon the throne […] He looked like a man come to watch an entertainment. A pleasantly diverting show, one whose outcome was foreordained and yet which promised a certain level of amusement. He took his seat. A sunshade was adjusted by his servants. We could see a table of refreshments placed at his side and, upon his left, several writing desks set into place, each manned by a secretary.instill courage not by his words alone but by the calm and professional manner with which he spoke them. War is work, not mystery.” Pressfield’s portrayal on The Battle of Thermopylae captured the power and strength of the Spartans. Told in vivid details that seems to transport all your senses into the book, you’ll feel the battle, tragedy, doom, and hope unfolding right in front of your eyes. You won’t be able to stop reading about the savage nature of humanity as it inflicts devastation and the counter method employed by the Spartans. I’m serious, these Spartans in a phalanx formation were a combination of almost literal demigods; functioning together with the same beating heart to become a windmill of death and defending their compatriots while killing anyone who approached them. A kindling ember of hope was lit by the 300 Spartans from the battle that results in a deluge of blood in the gates of fire, turning flesh and blood into gifts for Hades. This battle eventually would become the turning point for a future victory against the Persians and I enjoyed every moment of reading this book. Overall, a moving book to read, though the field of battle is horrific and gory and sad. There are a few slow moments in the middle which still add to the characterizations that are vital for this story to be as affecting as it is.

a b c d e Brummell, Paul (2005). Turkmenistan. Bradt Travel Guides. pp.133–134. ISBN 978-1-84162-144-9. For new officers entering the military, I recommend that you reflect on how you might apply the answers to the above questions as a platoon commander. Knowing that part of being a leader means you should be prepared to answer the question from someone in your platoon about why a certain training exercise is being conducted, having comprehensive answers that explore each of the ten questions above in depth is an essential starting point to earning the respect of your platoon. Whether it is applied as you design your own training evolutions in the future or when you are developing the leaders within your unit, knowing the purpose behind any action is critical in training. For example, training methods like the verbal abuse discussed in the book can often go too far or deviate from their actual purpose. If your understanding about what the goal is for that method isn’t well defined, then you could be facilitating a culture of bullying in your unit as you allow that technique to be applied incorrectly. While leaders often have the flexibility to determine how they want to apply a method, the intentions for the action must always be clearly defined. Three days before the march-out to Thermopylae, Dienekes takes his platoon on a hunt. He speaks honestly to his youthful warriors about his fear, and they speculate that women actually possess greater andreia, or valor, than men do. Later, Dienekes reveals that this was Leonidas’s motive in selecting the Three Hundred—he chose those whose wives, mothers, sisters, and daughters would stand firm after their loved ones’ deaths, inspiring all of Greece to resist and prevail in time. Though Leonidas refuses to pull out from Thermopylae, he spares some of his best warriors, including Xeo, Rooster, Dienekes, and Alexandros, to attempt to raid Xerxes’ tent. The raid is disastrous, and Alexandros is killed, to Dienekes’s overwhelming grief. When they bury Alexandros, Polynikes says that he was “the best of us all.”What specifically are you doing to harden your mind and body right now to prevent this from happening?