Here is the synopsis of our sample research paper on Ancient Greek Society and Steven Pressfield’s Gates of Fire: An Epic Novel of the Battle of Thermoplyae. Have the paper e-mailed to you 24/7/365.
Essay / Research Paper Abstract
In five pages this paper references Pressfield’s novel in a consideration of Sparta that includes the role of the polis in shaping the Greek identity, the typical Spartan soldier’s experience, and the personal values they most respected and how these shaped their society and politics. There are no other sources listed in the bibliography. TGgatefire.rtf
Page Count:
5 pages (~225 words per page)
File: TG15_TGgatefire.rtf
Buy This Term Paper »
Unformatted sample text from the term paper:
society and its people. The battle itself - between the stalwart Greeks who were supported by 300 valiant Spartans and Xerxes massive Persian army - lasted only three days,
but the insights this battle provides into the Spartan way of life resonate through the hundreds of pages of Steven Pressfields Gates of Fire: An Epic Novel of the Battle
of Thermopylae. Through narrator Xeones observations, the one-time Spartan squire (servant) turned proud warrior, the mysterious civilization of Sparta and the values its military citizens held most dear come
alive. Readers learn of the importance ancient Greeks placed upon the polis (city) as well as how their values dictated every aspect of their lives. The novel reveals
how being a soldier defined the man, his city, and his life. The polis was more than a particular region or a government; it represented the collective Greek identity.
This is the reason the Spartans were so quick to engage in combat. They were motivated not by the love of blood but by the love of city.
If they had no city to belong, they served no purpose and had no sense of self-worth. In this passage from the novel, the term city is used interchangeably
with the term citizen to reinforce this unity: "Our city, my city... Without a city, who were we? What were we?" (Pressfield 28) Because the polis had provided
the Greeks with everything they held most dear, they were obligated to launch a vigorous attack against any perceived threats to the sanctity of their polis with pride and without
any thought to their own lives. The polis was everything! As Bruxieus informed the young Xeones, "A man may call upon courage only one way, in the ranks
...