Newest book 6

So far, Xeones has held up despite his crippled form, and has been able to tell most of his story of the childhood that he survived only to come at the hands of the Persian army. He has showed the characteristics of the Spartan warrior that he told before, but i feel that he has in a way betrayed his people. While he is telling his peoples story, he is not being true to the future that he wanted. He wanted to die on the field of battle, and be a part of the fight for justice and for Greece. I feel that if i was is mother, i would be neither mad nor happy, because he is talking to the very people that he so wished to kill before in his life. This way of opening himslf up to the Persains is saying alot about his trueness to the Spartan ideals. I think that if i was in his place, i wouldve fought till i couldnt stand anymore, or ask for death. I am just suprised at his actions now that his people are gone.

Newest Book 5

So far, Xeones has told us of his childhoodlife and his tasks as a kid, such as wrestling his friends and getting whipped to become stronger. This story has many elements that distinguish from others. First, the I have to remember that it is been translated by a translator of a king and then back into greek. I am suprised at the way that the story is told because you would think that the man would be sad that all of his men had died and that he would feel anger toward the Persians, but it rarely shows up. Many cultural tensions should be evident in the text but they are nowhere to be found. I am also suprised at the way that the king takes all of this. I can understand that they both hate eachother, but this is more information about the tactics of the Greeks than a personal conversation.

Newest Book 4

In the book, there is much concentration on the life of the Spartan warrior, but not a lot of time spent on the female. The female, or the mother is the most important part of the picture, for she is the column that the Soldier stands apon. She raises him, and everytime he goes into battle, she is forced to give him up for the cause, and thus everytime he comes back she is reborn. This process happens many times in her life, and she is forced to live in the fear. Soon, there is no more fear of death, and the woman is considered more important than her son on the battlefield. The spartan woman is enphasized a lot in the story, and is given most credit for the army and the raising of the soldiers. I am sure that there will be a conflict between the Islamic Persains and the Spartans over the importance of the woman in the army and in life.

So far, the Spartan Xeones showed the upmost humility in the presence of the King, and now will begin his story of Sparta. Xeones starts out by telling about his training, and the life of a Spartan, starting with the birth. All Spartan babies are taken away on the first night of birth by the Spiritual leader, and is taken the the mountain cliff. If the spiritual man doesnt think that the child is fit to be a Spartan Soldier(the best in the Medeterranain)then he tosses the child to the rocks below. this first act allows only the best to even start the path towards a Soldier, and makes the competition even stiffer. He speaks of the activities that both the boys and girls participated in, such as sports and play fighting, preparing the mind for battle. He talks about the days without water and food, where he would be beat up by soldiers, and made black with bruises. All of this for one cause, Sparta. this tradition is what made Sparta so great compared to the other Greek states. They didnt need a congress, because their skill on the battlefield determined the leader. The Spartans were the simple folk, the men of the sword. This gave them an edge that even Persia, the world superpower of the time, couldnt handle well.

Newest Book 2

So far in the book, the Spartan, identified as Xeones, has told the King that he is only an infantryman, and cannot give a full recound of the story of the Spartans. He states that yes, 300 spartan soldiers killed over 20,000 of Xerxes best troops in three days, and that yes, he knows that Sparta has lost their war, but he feels that he would like to let the people of Greece know that the Spartans didnt die in vian, and that they all were fighting for Greece as a whole, and that the fought even though no other Greeks came to help them. He is not ashamed of his heritage, but has the humility to respect that the Kings's surgeuns saved his life, when he was so sure that he would die with the rest of his comrades on the plain of battle. He lets Xerxes know that the Spartans chose this thin mountain pass as a way to keep the whole strength of the Kings army at bay, and to only allow a few at a time pass. At the time, everyone thought that this would be the best idea, but the found out the hard way the mistake that they had made.

Newest Book

I started a new book, called the Gates of Fire, by Steven Pressfield. This book is about the battle of Thermopylae, a battle in which the Persians, led by Xerxes fight against the last greek army, the Spartans. This book tells the story of the Spartans, traveling through Greece to the pass of Thermopolyae in which only a few Persian Immortals(specialized soldiers) can pass at a time. This is the same story told in the movie, 300, but in a different perspective. The story starts out from the perspective of a Persian translator, who is talking about a Spartan soldier who has survived the Persian onslaught, and wants to tell the story of the Spartans to the rest of the world. He is led forward to speak to His Majesty, Xerxes, but is instructed to speak to the officers, and not directly to the King.

new book 6

From this book i have been able to study the descisions that people make when their life is at stake. This book is a kind of psychological dictionary that gives us instances where the mind will think anything it needs to in order to feel safe. When the crew realizes their mistake in staying of the plane, they make the decision to strike out, which in this case, seems to be a very bad idea. No matter the odds, the characters choose to go with their gut over the facts, and would rather not believe than give up all hope. The author has shown us the clear weakness of the human mind and the thin pane of glass that keeps us from going over the edge, no pun intended.