Sparta Live welcomes Steven Pressfield in an online talk about ancient Sparta in historical fiction.
Steven Pressfield and Sparta
The Gates of Fire author Steven Pressfield (also an honorary citizen of Sparti) is to discuss how the Battle of Thermopylae (480 BC) inspired him to write his best-selling historical novel –characterized ‘a triumph in historical fiction’; he is also to focus on what prompted him to tell the story of the 300 Spartans from a human and personal perspective.
The panel also includes Dr. Petros Doukas (Mayor of Sparti), Dr. Chrysanthi Gallou (University of Nottingham), and Dr Lynn Fotheringham (University of Nottingham).
Gates of Fire
At Thermopylae, a rocky mountain pass in northern Greece, the feared and admired Spartan soldiers stood three hundred strong. Theirs was a suicide mission, to hold the pass against the invading millions of the mighty Persian army.
Day after bloody day they withstood the terrible onslaught, buying time for the Greeks to rally their forces. Born into a cult of spiritual courage, physical endurance, and unmatched battle skill, the Spartans would be remembered for the greatest military stand in history—one that would not end until the rocks were awash with blood, leaving only one gravely injured Spartan squire to tell the tale. . .
This is, in short, the set of Pressfield’s award-winning novel, which got audiences closer to the world of ancient Sparta through a gripping narrative on the sacrifice of the 300 at Thermopylae, a major historical event that has gripped the imagination of writers and artists for centuries.
How to join
The live event is free to all and will take place via MS Teams.
Join either via the CSPS website or by following this event attendee link
It is advisable you attend the meeting via the MS Teams App, which you can download from here.
More on Sparta Live Event series, here.