We envision King Leonidas of Sparta and a version of his final speech to his troops at the Battle of Thermopylae in 480 BC, as depicted in Steven Pressfield's novel *Gates of Fire*. Leonidas, known not only as a warrior but also as a respected leader, likely gave a morale-boosting speech before the final Persian assault, emphasizing that their sacrifice would be remembered for thousands of years, not through monuments but through their actions. Though outnumbered by the Persian army, Leonidas’ goal was to delay their advance and help secure the eventual Greek victory at Salamis.
The novel *Gates of Fire*, published in 1999, explores themes of honor, duty, and fate. It became popular in military circles, including being featured on the reading list of the US Marine Corps and taught at West Point. George Clooney’s production company initially acquired film rights, but plans were abandoned after the success of the movie *300*, also based on the same battle, due to the poor reception of other historical films at the time.