Glorious cities
Athens grew considerably greater in the span of a few short years and this seemingly uncontrollable expansion made everyone around them fear for their future. The narrator describes how Athens had great cities that could easily be seen from afar. These cities are important because are used here as a metaphor to represent the country’s greatness and also dangerous nature.
Deserted places
Sparta tries to invade vast territories in the northern part of Africa, only to find them empty, both of people and any form of vegetation. The desert the Spartans find is an important metaphor here and is used to represent their lack of planning.
The temple
Before Sparta goes to war against Athens, their leader goes to a high mountain where a powerful oracle resides. The Spartan leader wants to ask for his advice and also to find out, if possible if Sparta was going to win. The location of the temple is important in this context and is also used here as a metaphor to represent the need everyone had to be guided by a powerful force.
The deadly diseases
At the end of the book, the narrator mentions how a deadly disease affected Athens, killing a big portion of the population and the King. This disease receives an important meaning in the book and is used here as a metaphor for fate favoring one side over the other.
The shields
In comparison with the Spartans, the soldiers from Athens were extremely well equipped with big shields, helmets, and even armors. This equipment gave the Athenians the upper hand at the beginning of the fights and it even makes it seem as if they were going to win. Because of this, the armors are used here as a metaphor to make reference to the advanced technological innovation can give.
