Chapter 2 - Duty Summary

Leonidas resumes the march, leading his warriors forward over the rocky terrain and through the hot day. His thoughts drift back to events of two weeks ago—events which shaped the current march. As prescribed by Spartan law, Leonidas had consulted the Spartan ephors prior to beginning a full-scale military expedition. The ephors live atop a craggy peak which emits powerful, trance-inducing fumes. Leonidas climbs the peak, meets the ephors, and makes a religious donation of heavy gold coin. He informs the ephors that the Persian army—rumored to number in the millions—is on the march and must be defeated by a combination of superior Spartan skill at arms and an intelligent selection of terrain; he suggests the entire Spartan army meet the Persians at a location known as the Hot Gates. But the ephors...