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Beyond the Gates of Fire: New Perspectives on the Battle of Thermopylae
The Battle of Thermopylae in 480 BC is one of the most famous battles in history. The heroism of the 300 Spartans who opted to remain behind to face the full might of the Persian host while their Greek allies made good their escape has become the stuff of legend. The story still inspires novelists and film-makers today (Frank Miller's fanciful 300 was a huge hit in 2007 and the film rights to Steven Pressfield's more historical novel Gates of Fire were bought by George Clooney, the film expected to finally surface in 2011 or 2012). But what is the truth behind the legends and why was this bloody defeat immediately accorded a halo of glory that has endured for nearly two-and-a-half millennia?
Beyond the Gates of Fire brings together experts on the classical period from Australia, New Zealand and the United States to take a fresh look at various aspects of the battle. A substantial introductory section by the editors outlines the background to the conflict as well as the arms, armor and fighting styles of the opposing sides. The following chapters (9 of them) then discuss such questions as whether the defense of the pass really was a suicide mission; the exact topography of the battlefield itself in 480 BC, using the latest geological research and core samples; the impact of the battle on the Greek psyche; commemoration of the war dead; the impact of the original battle on the conduct of later battles in the pass, right up to the German invasion of 1941. For the classical scholar or the general reader whose interest has been piqued by the popular books and films, this book is sure to shed refreshing new light on the most famous last stand in history.
Beyond the Gates of Fire brings together experts on the classical period from Australia, New Zealand and the United States to take a fresh look at various aspects of the battle. A substantial introductory section by the editors outlines the background to the conflict as well as the arms, armor and fighting styles of the opposing sides. The following chapters (9 of them) then discuss such questions as whether the defense of the pass really was a suicide mission; the exact topography of the battlefield itself in 480 BC, using the latest geological research and core samples; the impact of the battle on the Greek psyche; commemoration of the war dead; the impact of the original battle on the conduct of later battles in the pass, right up to the German invasion of 1941. For the classical scholar or the general reader whose interest has been piqued by the popular books and films, this book is sure to shed refreshing new light on the most famous last stand in history.
192 pages, Hardcover
First published April 19, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
April 7, 2023
En bred genomgång av ett intressant slag. Den ger en översikt från grekisk politik från logistisk-strategisk planering och från litterär användning. Boken är så pass välskriven att den är njutbar, även om den kanske inte är den tätaste texten jag har läst.
May 27, 2018
Despite being a scholarly work, I found the text of this tome full of typographical errors in both languages (some of the Greek terms were misspelled as well as some of the English), but otherwise this was an interesting collection of essays about the battle of Thermopylae and its greater meaning and importance. The essays bring in some rather unusual scholarship (such as geological core samples used to determine how the terrain has changed since ancient times - and the answer is VASTLY - do not assume you know the terrain of the battle if you've visited in the last two thousand years!) and are somewhat dense and sometimes even dull, but the implications continue to fascinate. Worth a read for classicists, nonspecialists might want to find something a little softer to start.
February 15, 2023
Everything you ever wanted to know about the battle of Thermopylae and then some. A collection of essays explaining what led up to the battle, the battle, and what followed, including a detailed explanation of how the landscape has changed from 480BP to now, and why. Highly recommended.
October 25, 2015
The text on dust jacket of ”Beyond Gates of Fire” claims that the book provides a wide analysis of the battle of Thermopylae and puts it into wider historical, social and cultural perspective. And indeed, once the reader is introduced to the circumstances leading to the battle and the political/military situation at the time the battle took place, a grand total of nine essays illuminate aspects of the clash at Thermopylae from different and perhaps previously overlooked perspectives.
The nine essays can be grouped in two categories and one ‘side dish’. The first group deals with cultural aspects of the battle – how was it recorded, how was it remembered and how did it achieve the status it enjoys in modern western society. I have to be honest and admit that essays dedicated to those topics were only mildly interesting to a military buff like me – they’re far too academic to be able to hold my interest throughout. At the same time I do also admit that some parts of that rather dry analysis, such as comparison of Herodotus’ account with Iliad were quite illuminating and cast yet another kind of light on primary sources to classical history.
The ‘side-dish’, as I call it, is the essay dedicated to geological analysis of the Thermopylae pass. Here the reader is indeed presented with some rather fascinating information, which contributes to the understanding of the events that unfolded at that place in 480BC. It’s just such a shame that the author didn’t make the effort to properly visualize his finds – a simple 3D sketch of the terrain features of the pass at the time of the battle seems to me at least as the logical ‘cherry on the top’ for this part of the book. Sorry, the topographical map provided in the book doesn’t make the cut here.
Finally, the second main group of essays provides the insight into the battle itself. Or, I should perhaps rather say, different sorts of speculations about it; beside retelling the two different versions of events available to us from Herodotus and Diodorus and evaluation of their fidelity to the actual facts (both fall short of the mark), the battle itself is hardly discussed. Instead the historical focus is placed on two questions – was Thermopylae an intentional suicide mission and how come the Greeks (and in extension, our own civilization) found the idea of so called ‘glorious defeat’ so compelling. Personally, I found the discussion regarding those topics rather uncompelling, mainly because the authors seemed to me far too convinced about infallibility of the views they presented. But to each his own and I am sure many, if not most, readers will be ready to agree with authors’ opinions.
It is however this personal disagreement of mine with views which in my opinion make the core of this volume that prevent me from holding ‘Beyond Gates of Fire’ in very high regard.
The nine essays can be grouped in two categories and one ‘side dish’. The first group deals with cultural aspects of the battle – how was it recorded, how was it remembered and how did it achieve the status it enjoys in modern western society. I have to be honest and admit that essays dedicated to those topics were only mildly interesting to a military buff like me – they’re far too academic to be able to hold my interest throughout. At the same time I do also admit that some parts of that rather dry analysis, such as comparison of Herodotus’ account with Iliad were quite illuminating and cast yet another kind of light on primary sources to classical history.
The ‘side-dish’, as I call it, is the essay dedicated to geological analysis of the Thermopylae pass. Here the reader is indeed presented with some rather fascinating information, which contributes to the understanding of the events that unfolded at that place in 480BC. It’s just such a shame that the author didn’t make the effort to properly visualize his finds – a simple 3D sketch of the terrain features of the pass at the time of the battle seems to me at least as the logical ‘cherry on the top’ for this part of the book. Sorry, the topographical map provided in the book doesn’t make the cut here.
Finally, the second main group of essays provides the insight into the battle itself. Or, I should perhaps rather say, different sorts of speculations about it; beside retelling the two different versions of events available to us from Herodotus and Diodorus and evaluation of their fidelity to the actual facts (both fall short of the mark), the battle itself is hardly discussed. Instead the historical focus is placed on two questions – was Thermopylae an intentional suicide mission and how come the Greeks (and in extension, our own civilization) found the idea of so called ‘glorious defeat’ so compelling. Personally, I found the discussion regarding those topics rather uncompelling, mainly because the authors seemed to me far too convinced about infallibility of the views they presented. But to each his own and I am sure many, if not most, readers will be ready to agree with authors’ opinions.
It is however this personal disagreement of mine with views which in my opinion make the core of this volume that prevent me from holding ‘Beyond Gates of Fire’ in very high regard.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews