I regretted the lack of supplementary material except a glossary. Thucydides was admirable, with his steadfast friend, Eukles. I liked his loyal friends, who always stood by him. Always struggling against a hot temper, he could be compassionate and diplomatic if the occasion called for it. His fighting tactics were wily and unorthodox. A long-hidden family secret was revealed and used to advantage.
After several chapters his humanity began to emerge and this charismatic man became fully-rounded.
Both sides have heroes and villains, the latter with no redeeming qualities.Īt first I didn't like Brasidas he seemed like an automaton. Chapters and sections alternated between the two sides and characters. We also meet Thukydides, Athenian general, who later will find his real niche as a historian. Then comes the struggle between Athens and Sparta for dominance, Brasidas's role as general and final battle and death at Amphipolis, where he leads a force of helots under Spartan officers to victory. It narrates Brasidas's life, from his years in the agoge, through his years as an active-duty soldier, notably leading a small force and winning the battle of Methone. Excellent, well-written novel about Brasidas, Spartan warrior, hero of Amphipolis in the Peloponnesian War.
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