Book 1: Xerxes, Chapter 1 - 4 Summary

A captive Greek, named Xeones, dictates his story to a scribe who works for the Persian King, Xerxes. The scribe forewarns Xerxes that the story contains much foul language, but the King wants to read exactly what Xeones has to say. Xeones sustains life-threatening battle wounds, and he had been dead for a short period before the Greek god, Apollo, sends him back to his wracked body in order to tell the story of the Battle of Thermopylae.

Xeones begins his tale by describing Thermopylae as a destination of travelers to use the hot mineral baths, thought to have healing properties. He briefly mentions that each Spartan soldier goes into battle with at least one helot, a member of the lowest Hellenic social class and a slave. Xeones is a Spartan helot who was once a citizen...