I read Steven Pressfield’s book on the battle of Thermopylae, “Gates of Fire”.
The historical Dienekes, when told the Persian archers darken the sun, replied, “So much the better, we’ll fight in the shade.”
Pressfield’s Dienekes is more thoughtful. He frequently ponders a military question of intense practical interest to Spartans: “What is the opposite of fear?” In a lengthy campfire discourse, he proves to his brothers that women have the greatest courage. In the final days of his life, he realizes that, “The opposite of fear is love.”
It must be true that Spartan women are brave, for Pressfield has them regularly confront the men in public, flouting norms and law with impunity. This surprised me, for I had thought the power of Spartan women derived from their husbands’ absence, not their weakness.
I can say from personal experience that the opposite of fear is not love but flow – an intense state of focus on mechanics without distracting emotional coloration. This trait distinguishes elite soldiers from the hormonally-driven masses. It requires a special genetic profile, which perhaps Pressfield lacks.
One may consider “Gates of Fire” a well-researched account of Thermopylae fictionalized by an uncomprehending rich leftist coward.
To its credit, the book does beat “300”, which was a cartoon of hormonal superhero courage. Whilst one can glean some small profit from Pressfield’s verbose dreck, perusal of the original source would be both more fruitful and less obscene.
The decline of Western civilization is evident in the evolution of the Laconic phrase. Modern examples lack grit.