The Dispensible King

A biographical novel of Leonidas of Sparta and his wife Gorgon, daughter of King Cleomenes, is planned.

Leonidas is most famous for leading the united Greek forces that met the invading Persian Army at the Pass of Thermopylae in 480 BC. After holding the pass for 2 days against much superior forces, a traitor showed the Persians a trail through the mountains that enabled them to out-flank and so trap the Greek troops. Learning of the impending encirclement, Leonidas released the allied forces to withdraw to safety, but held the position with what remained of his 300 Spartan hoplites and 700 Thespians, who likewise refused to retreat. Slaughtered by the Persians, Leonidas and his companions became a powerful symbol of Greek unity and commitment to freedom and independence.

Much has been written about Leonidas' death, very little about his life. Yet his life too was exceptional. He was a younger son in a bitterly divided family. When one of his brothers ascended to the throne, another was forced to flee. He married a woman whose reputation for cleverness, insight and outspokenness made her the most frequently quoted woman of her age. He ruled only ten years, but in this critical decade between Marathon and Thermopylae he played an instrumental role in forging the alliance that was to defy the Persians and force even the traditionally conservative Spartan government to commit forces "North of the Isthmus".