 First edition | |
| Author | Steven Pressfield |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | Historical fiction |
| Publisher | Doubleday |
Publication date | October 20, 1998 |
| Publication place | Australia |
| Media type | Print (hardback) |
| Pages | 400 |
| ISBN | 978-0-385-49251-5 |
| OCLC | 38916930 |
| 813/.54 21 | |
| LC Class | PS3566.R3944 G38 1998 |
Gates of Fire is a 1998historical fiction novel bySteven Pressfield that recounts theBattle of Thermopylae through Xeones, aperioikos[1] (free but non-citizen inhabitant of Sparta) born inAstakos,[2] and one of only threeGreek survivors of the battle.
Gates of Fire stresses the literary themes of fate and irony as well as the military themes ofhonor,duty,stoicism, andesprit de corps.[3] It has enjoyed popularity in the United States Armed Forces, being included on the 2011[4] and 2017[5] editions of theU.S. Army Chief of Staff's Professional Reading list and on the 2013Commandant of the Marine Corps' Reading list.[6]
The novel is narrated by Xeones, aperioikos and one of only three Greek survivors of theBattle of Thermopylae. His story is dictated toKing Xerxes and transcribed by his courthistorian, Gobartes.
AtThermopylae, the allied Greek nations deployed a small force of four thousand Greek heavy infantry against the invadingPersian army of two million strong. Leading the Greeks was a small force of three hundredSpartans, chosen because they were all "sires" — men who had to have sons who could preserve their blood line, should they fall in battle.[7]
Thermopylae was the only gateway into Greece for the Persian army, and presented the perfect choke point — a narrow pass bordered by a huge mountain wall on one side and a cliff drop-off to the sea on the other. This area decreased the Persians' advantage of having large numbers. Delaying the Persian advance here would give the Greek allies enough time to ready a larger, main force to defend against the Persians. The battle takes place simultaneously with the sea battle atArtemisium, where the Allied Greek forces hoped to protect the flank of the army at Thermopylae whilst not being cut off themselves. The Greeks were at a disadvantage at Artemisium, as at Thermopylae - the Persians outnumbered the Allies, and most of the Athenian ships were newly built and crewed by inexperienced sailors - and both sides suffered heavy losses in the sea battle.[7]
The novel is told from either the perspective of the royal scribe to the Persian king Xerxes, as he records the story of Xeones, after the battle, or in the first person from Xeones' point of view.Though Xeones is critically wounded in the battle, the Persian KingXerxes orders his surgeons to make every effort to keep the captive squire alive. Much of the narrative explores Spartan society, particularly theagoge, which is the military training program which all young Spartan boys must complete to become citizens ofSparta. The novel also details the heroics of several dozen Spartans, including the King of Sparta,Leonidas,[8] the Spartan CaptainPolynikes, a young Spartan warrior named Alexandros, and the Spartan officerDienekes. Pressfield employs detailed descriptions of the Spartanphalanx in battle, as well as the superior training and discipline of the Spartan warriors.[7]
Kirkus Reviews called it "A triumph in historical fiction".[9]
Shortly after the release of the novel,George Clooney's production company, Maysville Pictures, acquired the rights for a film.David Self was brought on to write the screenplay, andMichael Mann was set to direct. The film suffered a troubled production, and Mann departed the project citing creative differences. It was later put on hold due to lukewarm critical reception for historical fiction films such asTroy,Alexander andKing Arthur, all released in 2004. After the release and success of300 (2006), a film also based on the Battle of Thermopylae, plans for theGates of Fire adaptation were completely scrapped.[10]
I was recognized at least ironically as a freeborn and, evincing such qualities of a wild beast as the Lakedaemonians found admirable, was elevated to the status of parastates pais, a sort of sparring partner for the youths enrolled in the agoge, the notorious and pitiless thirteen-year training regimen which turned boys into Spartan warriors.
My childhood home, before fate set me upon the road which found its end at the Hot Gates, was originally in Astakos in Akarnania, north of the Peloponnese, where the mountains look west over the sea toward Kephallinia and, beyond the horizon, to Sikelia and Italia.
