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“Leonidas of Sparta: A Peerless Peer” by Helena P. Schrader is the second installment in a biographical trilogy centering on Leonidas and Gorgo. This second book continues where “A Boy of Agoge” left off. While the first novel focused on Leonidas’ years as a child in a public school in Sparta, this next installment focuses on his time as an ordinary citizen.

I had not read the first novel in the trilogy but was able to jump right in with the second one. To be honest, I was not familiar with Leonidas prior to reading this book. I am sure that at some point throughout my education I had learned something about him, but those lessons have since been forgotten. Schrader states that the part of Leonidas’ life that is often most portrayed are his final days, and that no “serious biography” has ever been written about him. She says that because there isn’t much known about his earlier years that it is difficult for historians to attempt a written biography. However, Schrader draws upon the facts available to her and attempts to reasonably reconstruct Leonidas’ life.

I found the story to be interesting and to read very much like a non-fiction biographical book. I enjoyed the “Historical Notes” section at the conclusion on the novel as it provided more insight into the customs and culture portrayed in the book. I also appreciated the glossary of Greek terms and learned quite a few new things from its inclusion.

“Leonidas of Sparta: A Peerless Peer” is an intellectually written work and if you have an interest in a historical novel that reads like non-fiction I would recommend Schrader’s book, most particularly if you have an interest in learning the ways of the Spartans. I look forward to the third and final book in the trilogy which focuses on the years of Leonidas’ reign and death.

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Leonidas of Sparta: A Peerless Peer

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