Enthralling adventure set in ancient Greece on how the servile helots rebelled against Sparta and, with the aid of Epaminondas of Thebes and Pelopidas and his Sacred Band, were able to prevail and to begin building their own city. A young man, Diocles, flees his homeland after he kills a Spartiate who had murdered his cousin. On his journey he meets an old man who has spent his life dreaming of the Messenians' freedom and praying for it; then two Thebans take him under their wings. He spends several years in Thebes, learning the hoplite warfare. The Battle of Leuctra [371 BC] is the beginning of the end for Sparta's military dominance. It is covered in a short chapter here, where we see Diocles's fighting ability. Diocles becomes de facto leader of the rebels.

This was a quick, entertaining read. All through I compared the novel with [author:Victor Davis Hanson|15262]'s [book:The End of Sparta|11215777], which covered the same subject, more or less. Hanson's style was more formal and this novel more casual. I felt it odd using such modern terms as "fifth columnists" [although dated], "wild-goose chase" [Shakespeare]. Diocles was an engaging young man; I enjoyed following his development from naïve teenager to a leader with awesome responsibilities. I am sure Hanson's history was more detailed and exact, but this novel gave the two Thebans more rounded personalities. Other figures were likeable; there was even ONE Spartan, Cleander, who, even within our negative stereotype of that people, was a decent sort. Even the mother of Diocles says to her son: "even though he was a Spartan, I cried when I heard that man was dead....He was by far the best [of masters I've had.] He was stern but he was fair. You knew he was the boss but he didn't rub your nose in it."

I do feel that the heroine, Elpis, after having been sexually violated by a Spartan, would have been ostracized back in those days in real life. The whole episode smacked too much of the 21st-century attitude towards such a thing, but Diocles's feelings toward her DID contribute to a happy ending. I wonder if the author's choice of the name Elpis, the ancient Greek word for "Hope" in English, was deliberate. Did the author mean to express, in a subtle way, the hope of the Messenians for freedom?

Highly recommended. ( )