Amazing adventure of Ancient Greece and its heroes

⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑  Having just read (and loved) Conn Iggulden's series on the Wars of the Roses, I was well primed for the battles of ancient Greek legend. In 490BC Darius, King of Persians, goes to Marathon to bring all his might against the Greeks. Things don't go to plan for the invader but what a brilliant way to start this rip-roaring series! Lots of action but so much more, as you would expect from an author gifted with the skill to make history flesh and blood for all of us in the here and now.

In The Gates of Athens we certainly go to war but there is much on the day-to-day happenings in the life of Xanthippus, a politician and military commander who is one of the main character in this novel. We learn how government functions in Athens, the birthplace of democracy, as Xanthippus debates with great skill. The ins and outs of democratic machination are fascinating to behold as are even the most mundane daily tasks, such as bathing and fitness. The reader is wholly immersed into this ancient world in a way that lends fresh perspective to an impressive society with laws that form the bedrock for most modern cultures. I don't want to get into great detail on plot points but political maneuvering changes things for Xan and he is exiled. Years go by and Xan is recalled to help defend Athens from another attack by Xerxes, Darius's son and current King of Persia.

This is where the story takes a turn for ground I know as Athens allies with neighboring Greek cultures and the Spartans join the fight. Enter Leonidas, King of Sparta and commander of the 300 Spartans who hold the pass of Thermopylae. Let me pause while I dab my eyes. This selfless act of incredible heroism always gets me and brings a lump to my throat. We relive it here in vivid detail in parallel with a raging battle at sea as the Greeks hold the Persians back as long as possible. Amazing stuff, honestly.

Full applause to Conn Iggulden for all the time and research he invested to bring so many characters of history to courageous life. As in his previous books, there may be goodies and baddies but they are all sketched with humanity and respect. Everyone has their own story to tell and even Xerxes becomes a commendable character striving to gain honor and fulfill the destiny his father would have approved of. The Gates of Athens was a thoroughly tremendous read and makes me want to learn more about this amazing time period. I giddily await the next book.