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Michelle Anderson Professor Nicholas Schuur English 099 Revised Final Draft Essay 1 30 November 2018 “Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear—not absence of fear.” [ CITATION Twa \l 1033 ] Is it possible to have courage but still feel fear? As human beings we experience the feeling of fear. Having courage is facing those fears by challenging them rather than fighting against them. There are different kinds of courage that we build up in ourselves and for various purposes. To do what is right regardless of the judgment or disapproval of others, to face challenges head on with a determination not to give up, and to have empathy for those despite our differences in culture or beliefs. All of these things take courage. One of the most difficult forms of courage is the courage to face danger when the odds are against you… Steven Pressfield’s novel Gates of Fire is about how love and loyalty can give one the courage in the face of impossible odds. Steven Pressfield’s historical fiction novel Gates of Fire (1998), is a story of the legendary Battle of Thermopylae between the Greeks and the Persians in 480 BC. Written before the movie “300” but not as widely publicized, the Battle of Thermopylae is known for the Greek Spartan army led by their king Leonidas being vastly outnumbered by the invading Persian army. Yet through their extensive training since childhood, these men were able to beat the odds for seven days (3 days of Battle) and block the only road available for the Persians to gain entrance. They met their end in a famous, final last stand after a local Spartan goat herder by the name

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Ephialtes leaked word of a back door by way of a goat trail to the Persian king Xerxes. This goat trail allowed for an attack from behind. The Spartans did not surrender and fought to the very last man. Pressfield carries their legend on in this tale of courage, strength, loyalty, but most of all… love. “The pass of Thermopylae is a mountain pass near the sea in northern Athens. This was the site for the battle and the perfect choice. There was only a marshy, 15-metre wide area that stood between the sheer cliff and the sea. The Spartans also made repairs to a defensive wall that had been built , but was in decay, by the local Phokians. With the protection of the sheer cliff to the left and the sea on their right, this is where the Spartans made their stand against the invading Persian army.” (Cartwright) Today that same pass looks nothing like it did in 480 BC. There is no cliff and coastline. The sea has receded over time and is now several miles away. Pressfield’s depiction of Spartan warfare applies to modern day by demonstrating that the proper training, weapons, and bodily protection in combination with the choice of terrain are essential elements of a successful defense. Writers past and present have used the Battle of Thermopylae for examples of how the influence of love and loyalty to one’s country can make the seemingly impossible, possible. The Battle of Thermopylae has become a historical icon of courage. With the added elements of love and loyalty, Gates of Fire is an inspiring illustration of how love and loyalty can give one the courage to face impossible odds. “Although extraordinary valor was displayed by the entire corps of Spartans and Thespians, yet bravest of all was declared the Spartan Dienekes. It is said that on the eve of Battle, he was told by a native of Trachis that the Persian archers were so numerous that, when they fired their volleys, the mass of arrows blocked out the sun. Dienekes, however, quite

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undaunted by this prospect, remarked with a laugh, ‘‘Good. Then we’ll have our Battle in the shade.’’—HERODOTUS, THE HISTORIES [CITATION Ste98 \p " ;front-matter" \l 1033 ] Pressfield begins his novel Gates of Fire after the battle. A mortally wounded, solitary Spartan soldier by the name of Xeones is captured and delivered to the Persian King Xerxes. The God Apollo is successful at reviving the young man for His Majesty’s desire to gain insight into the Spartans way of living, who they were, and what kind of forces drove them to do what they did. King Xerxes was in awe and disbelief that such people as these existed. Brokenhearted but needing the memory of his brothers to live on, Xeones begins to tell their story. Courage is expressed many different ways in Gates of Fire. With the Battle of Thermopylae being the final act of courage. Pressfield emphasizes a feeling of love throughout the book. Amid the violence and slavery, blooms a story that captures an image of what these men may have been like. It’s a depiction of how losing those we love is far worse than dying. “I was keenly conscious of the comrades-in-arms who had fallen with me. A bond surpassing by a hundredfold that which I had known in life bound me to them. I felt a sense of inexpressible relief and realized that I had feared, more than death, separation from them. I apprehended that excruciating war survivor’s torment, the sense of isolation and self-betrayal experienced by those who had elected to cling yet to breath when their comrades had let loose their grip.” [CITATION Ste98 \p 7-8 \l 1033 ] Xeo wanted to die. With his King along with every one of his brothers now gone, Xeones didn’t want to live. His love for them was so much that his wish was to join them again. But not until he was able to tell their story. ALL of their story. Every single detail no matter how small. The fear that their story would die with them was more than he could handle. If nothing else he had to make certain that their tremendous strength and determination to protect their home and

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their loved ones wouldn’t be in vain. In the end, they refused to surrender their arms. Not only did they accept their fate…but they seemed to welcome it. Welcoming death over letting the enemy in. An incredible act of love giving them the courage in the face of impossible odds. Pressfield’s portrayal of the character King Leonidas is one of a King who is held in high regard. He is respected and trusted through his devotion and constancy to his people. Leonidas did not expect his army to fight a battle alone. Not without being at their side fighting along with them. “I will tell His Majesty what a king is. 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, 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.” [CITATION Ste98 \p 360 \l 1033 ] “Dienekes pressed his ear tighter to the flat of Alexandros’ sternum. Could he distinguish the sound of his own heart, hammering now in his chest, from that beat which he sought so desperately within the breast of his protege? Long moments passed. At last Dienekes straightened and sat up, his back seeming to bear the weight of every wound and every death across all his years. He lifted the young man’s head, tenderly, with a hand beneath the back of his neck. A cry of such grief as I had never heard tore from my master’s breast. His back heaved; his shoulders shuddered. He lifted Alexandros’ bloodless form into his embrace and held it, the young man’s arms hanging limp as a doll’s. Polynikes knelt at my master’s side, draped a cloak about his shoulders and held him as he sobbed.” [CITATION Ste98 \p 343-344 \l 1033 ] This

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passage by itself is a heartbreaking display of the love that King Leonidas had for Alexandros. As well a closure to the courage shown by Alexandros…whose life and death will not be forgotten. One might raise the questions: Why did these men stand their ground and continue to fight after they were informed of the Persian army’s plan of a rear attack? Why did they choose to die when survival was an option? Did the Spartans want to die? While all those questions are valid …there is an equally valid answer to all of them. Honor. They did not want to die. But to die was more honorable than it would be to go on living. Having to surrender or run away was NOT a practice of the Spartans. They were the exact opposite. Their practice was making courage a habit. “The fox knows many tricks; the hedgehog one good one.—ARCHILOCHUS” [CITATION Ste98 \p "; front matter" \l 1033 ] ‘‘I understood then that it was the glue that made the phalanx great. The unseen glue that bound it together. I realized that all the drill and discipline you Spartans love to pound into each other’s skulls were really not to inculcate skill or art, but only to produce this glue.’’[CITATION Ste98 \p 331 \l 1033 ] Steven Pressfield’s novel Gates of Fire is intended for readers who have an interest in War and History but have a yearning to read about more than that. The book appeals men, women, and young adults with its blend of heartwarming moments tied together with the heartbreaking and horrific ones. From boyhood, to manhood, to warrior. Gates of Fire will fire the readers heart and soul. Intricately weaving and the ultimate

the emotions of love, kinship, and loyalty with fear, pain, W elsh ly Arms Leg en d ary.mp 3

sacrifice. The story of those brave men continues and will

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likely live on forever. Gates of Fire not only tells, but also shows how love and loyalty can give one the courage in the face of impossible odds.

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Works Cited Cartwright, Mark. "Thermopylae." 16 April 2013. Ancient History Encyclopedia. 16 April 2013. . Pressfield, Steven. Gates of Fire. PDF. New York: Bantam Books, 1998. Twain, Mark. Mark Twain 1835-1910 American. n.d. ....