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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does Leonidas have to donate before he can see the ephors?

2. Who gives the nickname to the man who has fallen down during their march?

3. The Queen tells Leonidas he should come back either with his ____________ or on his _____________.

4. The men who are marching are armed with short _______ and heavy spears.

5. Which soldier succumbs to the heat, growing dizzy and stumbling around?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is one of the reasons why Leonidas refuses to send the sign of subjugation to the Persian king?

2. What do the other Greek commanders do when they join up with Leonidas and his soldiers?

3. Describe the weather conditions for the soldiers as they have marched during the beginning of this story.

4. What does King Leonidas order Stelios to do with the captain that has been beaten senselessly?

5. What kind of instrument is being played by a man at the beginning of the troops?

6. What does Leonidas have to do prior to beginning a full scale military expedition, according to Spartan law?

7. Why do the ephors object to the plans of Leonidas when he comes to visit them?

8. Why does Leonidas believe he brought more soldiers than anyone, even though Daxos' group is larger?

9. What does the Persian envoy tell Leonidas to send to the Persian king as a sign of subjugation?

10. What happens to Stelios as he marches in the weather at the beginning of the novel?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Ephialtes really wants to fight for Sparta, but his physical deformity prevents him from impressing Leonidas.

Part 1: What is the role of Ephialtes in the story? Why is his character so important?

Part 2: What might have happened had Leonidas allowed him to be on the army?

Part 3: Why do you think Ephialtes wanted to fight with Leonidas?

Essay Topic 2

In order to be a great leader of an army, it seems you need to have a bit of arrogance as well as intelligence.

Part 1: In what ways does Leonidas' arrogance help him?

Part 2: In what ways does Leonidas' arrogance hurt him in battle?

Part 3: Does arrogance seem to be a positive or a negative quality for a leader? Why do you choose the answer you do?

Essay Topic 3

Leonidas goes through a sort of rite of passage by killing a huge wolf at the beginning of the timeline of this story.

Part 1: Describe the story of Leonidas and the wolf. What happens?

Part 2: What does the wolf symbolize in the story of Leonidas and the wolf?

Part 3: What might have happened had Leonidas never encountered the wolf as described in this story?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 652 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample