South House Games


Graphic Novels => Book List

Gates of Fire

Book Notes

p41-2. The flesh manufactures fear. A belief that your body does not belong to you allows courage. But recklessness ≠ courage.

Interesting point: Xeo and Diomache lost their manhood and womanhood respectively after the sack of their city. Diomache was raped and believed she could never be a wife, only a slave and prostitute. Xeo was caught stealing and nailed to a board. He believed he was crippled and would never hold a spear. Both thought becoming a "man" or "woman" was out of reach.

What is shameful to Outsiders and City Dwellers? Do their warriors share in the shame or lack thereof?

Hermoine is a Greek word and the name of a girl in Harry Potter. What does it mean? She was the daugher of Menelaus and Helen. Might be immortal now.

p59-60. Diekenkes response to Tommie. Very powerful.

p61-2. How the warrior keeps time. Also, a beautiful transition and integrated sequence which naturally flowed from Xeo's duties and details of his master to into a story meant to teach and not told for vanity. These pages as much about Spartans as any.

p75. The story of Spartan training. This the Sweep Team. But why? Why train? The Outsiders? What if they believe in repressing the raw elements within instead of letting them loose. What if they consider it possession by a demon? It would rhyme with the truth.

Phobologia- "fear science" of Sparta.

The Sweep Teams see themselves as the instrument and the commander as the musician? No, that's weird. A single unit though. Outsiders fight individually. Sweep Teams fight as one. Think of Custodians vs Space Marines. Stalkers are different. They are alone more often than not.

p128. Dienekes as an officer- this is Rylan. p141-2. Yep, Dienekes is Rylan. p129 Hesma Phobus- fear shedding - and Leonidas's speech afterwards. Actually the entire scene from 140 to 160 is incredible. The Harrowing of Alexandros. Xeo's interrogation by the women is also great.

p230-1. "The reed beside the staff" is a Spartan saying. The chain is made stronger with an unproven link. The lisp that pushes an orator's brilliance, etc. Clarissa in the Sweep Team? Or just new members? Perhaps this is separate from Infusion. a tenet of the Teams.

p232. THe description of the helots. Short, masterful.