Provides a detailed account of the battle of Thermopylae in 480 B.C., a clash in which a small Greek army, led by three hundred Spartan soldiers, held off the vast Persian military for seven full days--fighting down to the last man.
Presents an introduction to life in the city-state of Sparta in ancient Greece, focusing on the story of Leonidas, a man who grew up in Sparta, attained the throne, and led his army against the Persians.