Summary Of ' The Great Gatsby ' By F. Scott Fitzgerald

In all versions of the Battle of Thermopylae, Leonidas and the Spartan army are seen as tough soldiers who grew up under harsh conditions. Spartans typically leave home to begin training on their

The legendary Spartan King, Leonidas and 300 of his formidable royal body guards, led a coalition of Greek warriors against a much larger opponent, the Persian King Xerxes. Against the odds, the Greeks stood their ground and deterred Xerxes’ Army for three days at the Thermopylae Pass, known as the Hot Gates. Xerxes might have won the tactical battle, yet, the Spartans proved superior training, equipment, and intimate familiarity with the terrain were critical force multipliers. The Spartan power, willpower, and determination came from an undying sense of patriotism and duty. 300 Spartans and countless Greeks may have lost their lives at the Thermopylae Pass, nonetheless their courage rallied the Greek states to fight and prevail against a tyrant. The in-depth preparation, tactical expertise, loyalty, and courage these warriors displayed are the defining factors that made this battle a strategic win for the Greeks and would ultimately lead to the Persian Kings defeat.

Leonidas, king of Sparta, leads a small force of three hundred men—his personal bodyguard—to a place known as the Hot Gates to meet a numberless horde of hostile Persians in combat. Prevented by oracular pronouncement from taking the entire Spartan army, Leonidas is fully aware that the mission is suicidal. Joined by about 6,700 other warriors from various Greek cities, Leonidas and his three hundred hold off several assaults by the Persians until eventually they are betrayed. As a young boy of perhaps ten years, Leonidas, like all Spartan boys, had been driven into the wilderness, alone and unarmed, to test his strength and cunning. Tracked by a huge wolf, Leonidas crafted a flimsy spear and lured the wolf into a narrow fissure in a cliff.

At that moment, I realized that, the eminent Odysseus, the so called hero of the Trojan War, must have been the leader of the men. He was obviously not here at the moment, for he would not have condoned entering my lair, and would have been more circumspect than his men. It was only a matter of moments, before he realized that something was wrong and that he would come begging to my door for his men. Sooner rather than later, my suspicions were proven true as a handsome, muscular man arrived at the front door of my hall. I cordially allowed him to enter, but he brushed away everything and brusquely asked me “Where are my

Most of the characters in this novel were soldiers. The Spartan soldiers spoke using many examples of jargon. The examples of jargon could vary from the use of ordinary military words such as “helot” and “xiphos” to the frequent use of foul language and crude humor. This gave a realistic feel to a story about ordinary men would respond under the pressure of war and difficult conditions.

Achilles mission is to slaughter Patroclus’ killer, prince Hector. After a game of ‘hide and seek’, Hector decides to confront

The Battle of Thermopylae, perhaps one of the most well-known ancient battles in history, has been written about many times since event first occurred thousands of years ago. Gates of Fire by Steven Pressfield, however, puts a unique spin on it. Pressfield covers not only the battle, but the Spartans that made up the battle. He gives an in-depth view of what he thinks Spartans really were like. The character and values that Spartans hold dear is described in great detail. The Spartans are described in the usual way. They are fearless, religious, and hold their virtues to a very high standard. Pressfield shows their fearlessness in several ways. First, the Spartans are going to a battle, and a child no more than 12 years old sneaks off to participate in the

"Seventy-two of them made good their escape, grabbing kitchen knives and cooking skewers on their way out" (Shaw 131). Over a three year period these seventy-two gladiators led by Spartacus would, against all odds, reach in excess of seventy thousand men and reek havoc on multiple Roman armies. None of this could have been accomplished without the courageous, tactical leadership of Spartacus.

Hear is a quote showing what the Spartans believe, “The Spartans say that any army may win while it still has legs under it; the real test comes when all strength is fled and the men must produce a victory on will alone.” (page

They were not ready just yet to surrender to the Persians.""And so the Spartans and those other Greeks who fought to the death had lost the battle for Thermopylae. The Persian army could now march into central Greece, wreaking havoc and destruction. But, although the Greeks had lost this battle, the great courage shown by the Spartans boosted the morale of other Greeks. They were not ready just yet to surrender to the Persians."And so the Spartans and those other Greeks who fought to the death had lost the battle for Thermopylae. The Persian army could now march into central Greece, wreaking havoc and destruction. But, although the Greeks had lost this battle, the great courage shown by the Spartans boosted the morale of other Greeks. They were not ready just yet to surrender to the

The Athenian army was primarily male citizens, who were made to enlist at the beginning of the year following their 18th birthdays. For two years, new “cadets” (known as ephebes) trained full time. After training, they rejoined public life, though they were committed to the army for 40 years. At any time, they could be called to duty to defend Athens.The people elect two athletic trainers and instructors for them, to teach them their drill as heavy-armed soldiers and to use the bow, javelin, and sling.

The Peloponnesian War actuated a series of political and social changes that substantially altered the hegemonic balance in Greece that would have far reaching consequences for Western Civilization. Moreover, the Peloponnesian War represented not only the nadir of Greek morality, but, the apogee of the Spartan mirage of invincibility and domination. For the Spartans, winning the Peloponnesian War was a catastrophe that culminated in the atrophy of the Spartan system as well as the perpetual irrelevancy of the Spartan polis in the Greek world. According, to Ober “the real, original Sparta broke with a sharp snap because it could not bend.”

College history students should read this novel because many of the concepts and ideals of the Spartan culture are presented and described. One of the author’s greatest strength in the novel is his ability to demonstrate the Spartan’s culture through the use of story. For example, readers can often gather from a traditional textbook that the Spartans were one of the greatest fighting forces of their time. This is brought out in the novel when Pressfield describes how “men passed beyond themselves… [and] feats of heart-stopping valor fell down from the sky like rain” (308). This is showing that the Spartans presented great courage, bravery and fearlessness in battle, which is often how they are

As he throws the black knife into a redwood post his wrist “flicked like the head of a snake” (Steinbeck,Flight 17). Lastly, the use of repetition is shown in the short story as well. The constant reminder of Pepe being a man and having man things to do is told throughout. Also, “ Innocence is killed and buried in the moment that Man stands alone” is repeated reminding us that Pepe’s childhood is now dead (Vogel 2). Beneath the realistic details of this story, Steinbeck portrays the moral allegory of a young boy growing into manhood.

The Spartans lived and breathed war. They learned to fight when they were children, and trained hard for it when they were adults.