Xerxes's story
This historical fiction novel shows a different side of one of the earth's most well-known stories. Instead of showing the story of the three hundred Spartans in the battle of Thermopylae, the story shows allegorically what such a confusing defeat might have been like to the Persian King, Xerxes. Remember that Xerxes is far away from the battle, overseeing the military campaign from a bird's eye point of view. To him, the battle is akin to chess, so as he receives updates from the courier, he is forced to admit gradually that number advantages alone are not enough to guarantee victory; he will need to face his enemy with a dedication to strategy.
The Spartan
It is important to realize the symbolic nature of a Spartan warrior. This story shows the measure of influence that one soldier can have; each Spartan is an elite soldier, unlike anything the world had seen. The culture of the Spartans is specifically suited to produce such elite-class combatants. But, from Persia, Xerxes is basically dealing with a myth or a legend. Are they really as dangerous as the legends say? Obviously, they are, he learns. To him, this symbolizes the real existence of the ideal soldier.
The bottleneck
When he learns how his soldiers are dying is such large numbers, Xerxes is presented with this pinnacle issue. His army was lured into a narrow pass, meaning that although they had numbers advantage (there were millions of Persians and only thousands of Greeks), that advantage could be mitigated by a strategic use of natural landmarks. In the narrow pass, the Persians were removed from their numbers; like a rocket funnel channeling an explosive fuel, the pass funneled the Persians so the Greeks could fight them one at a time, giving the advantage back to the Spartans who dominate at man-to-man combat.
The messenger
The messenger serves an important symbolic role. He is like Hermes, the busy mailman, taking messages from the battlefield to the king. This symbolic role is archetypal, and it symbolizes the infrastructural authority of the king. Xerxes identifies himself as a deity, more or less, and the messenger is proof of his ability to reign at a distance. He is the commander in chief, proving that history has moved into the age of empires.
The wounded leader
There is an important moment in the battle when one of Xerxes primary military officers is severely wounded, and the moment points to an important priority question: which is more important to Xerxes, the real life of a military officer and leader in his organization, or the success of his campaign? He tells the messenger to carry his commandment to the field; the medics are required to care for this wounded man. The leader's injury is a symbol for the loss of the battle, and Xerxes's care proves that he understands his strategy has failed.
