"Tell the Spartans, stranger passing by,
that here obedient to their laws we lie."

Good authors are often graced with one great book. 'Gates of Fire' is Pressfield's henosis. It is lyrical, compelling, thought provoking, and soars above most works of historical fiction (at least those that shrug in the mud of military historical fiction). Like most of Pressfield's work, 'Gates of Fire' deals with the common soldier, the grunt, the squire. His narrative is informed by a people's history of Greek history. For me, the most surprising aspect of 'Gates of Fire' was the nuance Pressfield's gave to Spartan women.

If I sound too enraptured, too possesssed, I apologize. I am sure that there are faults in this novel, but they are few and mostly irrelevant. Pressfield wasn't aiming for 'War and Peace', he wasn't trying to capture the flag of high literature. His goal was more humble, but he more than won it.

First person narrative Sword and Sandal historical fiction on ancient Sparta and the Battle of Thermopylae.


n  300 Spartans and their allies against the Persian horden

My audiobook was fourteen (14) hours long. George Guidall was the narrator. A dead tree copy is about 530 pages. The original US copyright was 1998.

Steven Pressfield is an American historical fiction and non-fiction writer. He has nine (9) historical fiction books published. Most are set in ancient times and have military themes. He also has the same number of non-fiction books published over a wider variety of subjects, but military themes predominate. I’ve read several books by the author. This was my second reading of this book, but the first was very long ago. I only dimly remembered the story. The last book I read by the author was n  Tides of Warn (my review).

Pressfield’s ancient-period historical fiction stories are a deep-dive into the period. In this case, it’s the imaginary narrative of the lone, captured Spartan survivor of the Thermopylae land battle (Xeones) recorded by the royal historian of the Persian king Xerxes. This was a good clash of ancient armies and the lifestyle of the ancient Spartans story. However, it was somewhat weaker in the parts without 'sword in hand'. It was also a long book to listen to, and contained many characters to keep track of. Being unfamiliar with ancient Greek names and locations made this more difficult. Mercifully, there were very few POVs.

There was a high-degree of historical detail in the story. It centered on the ancient Spartans during the beginning of the n  Greek Classical Agen around 480 B.C. The adjective Spartan was amply illustrated. The author adopted a mainly, first-person narrative technique. The protagonist, the orphaned, youth Xeones, joins the Spartans and over the years becomes one, but due to birth can never really be one. The other POVs included the Persian historian who records Xerones death bed recounting of Spartan life and the battle, and the wife of a main character who gives the Spartan woman’s perspective. Their stories were all told in a verbose, elegiac, archaic-style with many Greek words defined and used. In places, the manly banter was profanely, very funny. The overall effect was immersive in its detail. However, I noted it was a rather idealized version of ancient Greek life. Reading this, you should already know that ancient Greek life was really: nasty, brutish, and short.

Note that there was a lot of edged-weapon and physical violence in the story. The clash-of-arms was well done. In addition, the description of wounding and general carnage was quite detailed. However, I thought the author missed the effects of pain in his descriptions. I likewise thought the romantic aspects of the story lacked emotion.

I have a keen interest in ancient history, particularly ancient military history info-dumps. I liked the book for that. This was a soldier’s story with: conflict against great odds, honor, duty, country and comradeship. It was good at that. However, it verged on a Hollywood depiction, where having a hand lopped off was just a flesh wound, and Spartan women were better men than their husbands. That is, it was weak once it strayed from the mano-e-mano action plotlines. However, I was not bored. In addition, I appreciated the audiobook for providing the proper pronunciations for ancient Greek militaria I have been butchering for years now.

"Lo opuesto al miedo es el amor" Dienekes.

"Las Puertas de Fuego", valiéndose de la poética y evocadora prosa de Pressfield, que en ocasiones está impregnada del carácter vívido de las epopeyas homéricas, ofrece un relato descarnado y orgánico sobre los rigores bélicos, el implacable destino y el honor y el deber con el que los humanos deben enfrentarlos. Temática manoseada, lo sé, pero la novela provee una perspectiva única, ¿cuál es? La del soldado, la del subalterno.

El enfoque del militar está encarnado por Xeones de Astarkos, ciudad helénica sita en la región de Acarnania, cuya aniquilación llevará al protagonista a la xenófoba y marcial Esparta. Aquí, en la principal ciudad de Lacedemonia, se desarrollará el otro elemento innovador del libro: el análisis de la psicología espartana, el examen del miedo (phobos) y el valor (andreia), la camaradería espartíata y su particular cosmovisión del mundo, su relación con las otras ciudades peoloponesas y con el invasor aqueménida, así como su estratificación social y económica fundada en la esclavitud. Su concepción de la educación materializada en la inmisericorde agogé también es objeto de tratamiento; aunque hubiese agradecido mayor profusión al respecto.

Considero, por lo expuesto, que aunque la Batalla de las Termópilas sea una historia relativamente conocida, incluso llevada de forma infame al cine (me gusta la película, pero duele el rigor histórico), el autor la aborda de forma novedosa, aportando datos, términos y reflexiones enriquecedoras, amén de la omnipresente mitología griega que embellece la narración.
La estructura de la novela es otro acierto: la entrevista/memorias que Xeones, inspirado y compelido por Apolo, refiere al historiador persa vertebra la obra, y la presencia e intervenciones de los principales militares orientales y del propio Jerjes I durante la misma son atinadas.

La novela, empero, está bastante lejos de ser redonda: hay momentos de desconexión, la historia no siempre mantiene el interés, los personajes podrían estar más acabados y la filosofía que subyace es reiterativa. El final, en cambio, me ha gustado, crudo y alegórico, sin almíbar. Trágico, pero de una belleza grave y conmovedora.

¿Te gusta la novela histórica clásica y las Guerras Médicas? Léela, es una referencia insoslayable. La historia de Xeones lo merece; su entrega, su pasión y su abnegación. Leal y fiel, honorable hasta el final. No es el más grande, ni el más fuerte ni bello, ni tan siquiera es espartano, pero ejemplifica el valor de la honestidad y el compromiso.

La nota es de 3,75 estrellas. Finalmente decir que me parece superior Javier Negrete como narrador, y siempre recomendaría su libro "El Espartano" antes que el que nos ocupa. Sin embargo y previsiblemente éste nunca alcanzará las cotas de repercusión de "Las Puertas de Fuego": el mundo editorial, como la guerra, es terriblemente injusto.

"Ve a decirles a los espartanos, extranjero que pasas por aquí, que, obedientes a sus leyes, aquí yacemos" Simónides.

Historical fiction at its finest, this novel recounts the fames Battle of Thermopylae, when a vastly outnumbered group of Greek soldiers took a heroic stand against the powerful Persian Army.

First of all, I am proud to have visited the spot in Greece where supposedly the battle/drama of Thermopylae took place. Wonderful to be able to interact with history, even if it's in such a small way.

"Study the past if you would define the future." by Confucius

"Gates of Fire" is a fictional novel, with very accurate historical facts due to the author's thorough research.

This book was way better than I expected and it made me care for the characters and to some degree raised some inner self questions regarding: self-sacrifice , loyalty, duty for the country I was born in.(I possess none! but who knows what may happen later in life, or in times of need) I have to admit that Pressfield did an awesome job, he wrote everything with such depth of details; every action scene keeping me on pins and needles, making you an eye-witness to the events. Some may appreciate the battle scenes - marvelously depicted- , others the way he pictured the Spartan society. Either way, the writing, his narrative brings those imaginings to life.

Self-sacrifice, Loyalty,Duty,Endurance... I'm not a spartan or maybe I was,for a while... Definitely I felt some connection.


It was a nice touch, the way he used Xeones A foreign-born spartan squire is found on the battlefield,saved and taken as captive by the persians. Xerxes was curious what made the Spartans fight with such vigour - everything given for the realm they cared for. So it begins, the story of Xeo and the Hot Gates  as a narrator. Loved every insight into the lives of our characters, every nook and cranny of this book. I haven't been bored by the various plots,the sudden change from one to the other - sometimes interrupting a scene that was more beguiling -a bit confusing at times, but got on track right away. Besides, those back-stories, brought you closer to each character as well as throwing you in a lot of clever talk philosophical issues e.g. fear. Priceless!

I'm glad to have read this and recommend it highly.

Some nice quotes that I like:

"Fear arises from this: the flesh. This "he declared, “is the factory of fear.” by Dienekes


"tMankind as it is constituted, "Polynikes said, " is a boil and a canker. Observe the specimens in any nation other than Lakedaemon. Man is weak, greedy, craven, lustful, prey to every species of vice and depravity. He will lie, steal, cheat , murder, melt down the very statues of the gods and coin their gold as money for whores.This is man.This is his nature,as all the poets attest.
tFortunately God in his mercy has provided a counterpoise to our species' innate depravity. That gift, my young friend is war.War, not peace, produces virtue. War, not peace, purges vice.
tWar, and preparation for war, call forth all that is noble and honorable in a man. It unites him with his brothers and binds them in selfless love, eradicating in the crucible of necessity all which is base and ignoble. There in the holy mill of murder the meanest of men may seek and find that part of himself, concealed beneath the corrupt, which shines forth brilliant and virtuous, worthy of honor before the gods. Do not despise war, my young friend, nor delude yourself that mercy and compassion are virtuessuperior to andreia, to manly valor." by Polynikes


"He observed that often those who seek to overcome fear of death preach that the soul does not expire with the body. "To my mind this is fatuousness.Wishful thinking. Others, barbarians primarly, say that when we die we pass on to paradise. I ask them all: if you really believe this, why not make away with yourself at once and speed
the trip?
Achilles, Homer tells us, possessed true andreia. But did he? Scion of an immortal mother, dipped as a babe in the waters of Styx, knowing himself to be save his heel invulnerable? Cowards would be rarer than feathers on fish if we all knew that. " by Dienekes

"The supreme accomplishment of the warrior: to perform the commonplace under far-from-commonplace conditions. Not only to achieve this for oneself alone, as Achilles or the solo champions of yore, but to do it as part of a unit, to feel about oneself one's brothers-in-arms, in an instance like this of chaos and disorder, comrades whom one doesn't even know, with whom one has never trained; to feel them filling the spaces alongside him, from spear side to shield side, fore and rear, to behold one’s comrades likewise rallying, not in a frenzy of mad possession-driven abandon, but with order and self-composure, each man knowing his role and rising to it, drawing strength from him as he draws it from them; the warrior in these moments finds himself lifted as if by the hand of a god. He can not tell where his being leaves off and that of the comrade besides him begins. In that moment the phalanx forms a unity so dense and all-divining that it performs not merely at the level of a machine or engine of war but, surpassing that, to the state of a single organism, a beast of one blood and heart." by Dienekes

"When a warrior fights not for himself, but for his brothers, when his most passionately sought goal is neither glory nor his own life’s preservation, but to spend his substance for them, his comrades, not to abandon them, not to prove unworthy of them, then his heart truly has achieved contempt for death, and with that he transcends himself and his actions touch the sublime. That is why the true warrior cannot speak of battle save to his brothers who have been there with him. This truth is too holy, too sacred, for words." by Suicide


The End


P.S: wanted to read it in December as a group read for Ancient & Medieval Historical Fiction, but postponed it until this year.Me.A dumbass.So, thanks. I doubt I would've ever read "Gates of Fire" otherwise. This is why I love goodreads.

This book is too long. It took me four days to clear.

It's also spiritual. I couldn't understand the story though

skończyłam ( ale jakim kosztem)

To be fair, this book is exactly what the title sells it as. But it is nothing more than that. It is basically one long Brandon Sanderson fight scene. Epic? Maybe, but self-consciously epic, unbelievably epic; and therefore I found it powerless. And the writing is terrible.

"The more miserable the conditions, the more convulsing the jokes become, or at least that's how it seems. I have witnessed venerable Peers of fifty years or more, with thick gray in their beards and countenances as distinguished as Zeus', dropping helpless with mirth onto hands and knees, toppling onto their backs and practically pissing down their legs they were laughing so hard. Once on an errand I saw Leonidas himself, unable to get to his feet for a minute or more, so doubled over was he from some otherwise untranslatable wisecrack."

Good thing the joke was untranslatable, because otherwise Pressfield might have had to write it, and dialog is beyond him.

2.7⭐
Originally posted August 8, 2020.
Edited for clarity January 23, 2024.
I don't know how accurate Steve Pressfield's vision of ancient Greece and the Battle of Thermopolye is. But it has enough of the feel of accuracy, of verisimilitude, to make his setting and characters believable, if not exactly likeable. Not all online critics agree. One claims that the battle tactics Pressfield uses come from a later period in Greek history (since the story takes place about 2500 years ago, I'm willing to cut him the 70 years slack, in this case). Another says the author's description of war wounds is unrealistic as it doesn't include the effects of gangrene and similar infections. For that I thank Mr. Pressfield, as his battles are quite gory enough.

My issues are with the story telling. I think he does a decent job creating a credible if brutal, society. I just have trouble with his frequent, long winded expositions extolling the supposed virtues of that society (and with the disjointed manner in which he tells his tale). The Greek city state we call Sparta was a militaristic oligarcy of slave holders, who extolled war over all other endeavors. The reason for that was mainly so it could keep its captive population under control. It banned most art, poetry and philosopy as effeminate. Pressfield hides none of that, to his credit, but he tries to excuse it with verbose, almost mystical ramblings about soldierly life and the brotherhood of warriors. He's not the first, the imperialist powers of 18th and 19th century Europe did the same. It just seems odd that a modern American would do it. And it takes away from what otherwise is a not bad adventure story. I doubt I'll read Pressfield's other novels as I simply don't appreciate his style (took a very long time to finish). You might want to look at it simply to see what the fuss is about.

Bitka kod Termopila bila je jedna od onih koje su promenile zapadnu civilizaciju - istoričari tvrde da je zbog tog poraza helenskih državica od Persijanaca, kasnije sačuvana antička kultura, evropski začeci demokratije i onoga što je kasnije nastalo u Evropi.

Ognjene kapije predstavljaju priču na realističniji način od stripovskog 300 - branilaca naravno nije bilo samo 300, već preko 4,000 - ali Presfild i dalje temelji delove svog istraživanja na Heroditu, koji tvrdi da je Persijanaca bilo preko dva miliona (noviji izvori smatraju da je Grka bilo nekoliko desetina hiljada, a Persijanaca ne više od 300,000.

Osim same bitke, Ognjene kapije nam predstavljaju romantičku verziju Sparte, društva koje temelji na surovom vojnom treningu, ali pre svega na časti. Spartanci su idealizovani do te mere da čovek poželi da nastavi da čita o njima, pa i postane deo takve kulture. Iako ovo nema bliže veze sa istorijskom realnošću, kao deo fikcije je potpuno na mestu i meni kao čitaocu koji se potpuno prepustio autoru, dalo ne uzvišen osećaj ponosa, a neki od likova ostaće mi među omiljenim likovima Antike.

n  BookTube channel with my awesome brother, Ed - The Brothers Gwynnen
n  My personal BookTube channel - William Gwynnen

Gates of Fire is one of the most extraordinary books I have ever read. This is a book about friendship, camaraderie, purpose, sacrifice, fear and love. It is a book that examines the human condition, exploring three themes through a cast of incredibly vivid characters who each leap off of the page with a feeling of authenticity. It is, simply put, one of a kind.

“The hardship of the exercises is intended less to strengthen the back than to toughen the mind. The Spartans say that any army may win while it still has its legs under it; the real test comes when all strength is fled and the men must produce victory on will alone.”

Gates of Fire tells the tale of Thermopyalae. How a small number of Spartans and allies historically stood against the hordes of the Persian Empire at "The Hot Gates". This is told as a chronicle, by a survivor of the battle, so that they are recounting their own small role in this landmark and history-changing battle as well as the roles of those around him. It is a coming of age story as we learn how our narrator found himself in this position, from his childhood to the battle itself.

“Fear conquers fear. This is how we Spartans do it, counterpoising to fear of death a greater fear: that of dishonour. Of exclusion from the pack.”

Despite of course already knowing how Thermopalae ends, Pressfield still manages to craft a story filled with such tension and immersion. He uses this dramatic irony masterfully, manipulating our emotions as we swiftly become immersed in this world and the concepts it is circulating. If you feel hesitant to read this for fear of the end having no payoff, please reconsider. It has one of the most powerful endings I have had the pleasure to read.

This is a character driven story. It is about what drives us as individuals, and how important friendship is. It looks at the power of being a part of something greater than itself, and it discusses these philosophical topics in such a natural and organic way. It comes straight from our characters, so that these themes do not detract from the story, but are used to enhance our emotion and understanding of the cast of characters.

“As all born teachers, he was primarily a student.”

Gates of Fire is such a brilliant book. It is about comradeship, belonging, sacrifice and love. The way Steven Pressfield tells this story has such an enchanting quality about it. It is written masterfully. But that magical quality does not detract from the brutality and horror that is also shared within these pages. We see moments of absolute virtue, to those of a despicable nature. But all of these are captivating, and amalgamates to create one of the best books I have ever read. Some of the best moments in any book. Some of the best characters. One of the best premises. All comes together to form a story that is truly masterful, in every way.

My brother and I talk about Gates of Fire on our channel... The Brothers Gwynne

Whilst Frank Miller's 300 may have captured the spirit of the battle of Thermopylae - elephants and wizards not withstanding, Steven Pressfield takes a much more realist approach. Greece in 480 BC is presented as a place of constant warfare united only by the prospect of imminent Persian invasion. The Spartans are as brutal and oppressive as they are stoic and courageous, so much so in fact that the Persians seem a relatively civilised and cultured lot in comparison. Despite the repugnance much of Spartan life may arouse in the modern mind, it's hard not to feel some admiration for their utter refusal to accept subjugation in any form. History lessons aside, it's in the battle scenes that this book really comes to life, the physical strain and merciless nature of close quarters fighting in the age of the hoplite has never been more vividly captured, even without the battle elephants.