Author Michael Ford THE SPARTAN QUEST By Manuel

Author: Michael Ford THE SPARTAN QUEST By: Manuel Toro, Juan Pablo Posada, Santiago Zuleta

THE FIRE OF ARES Book 1

CHARACTERS • Lysander: he is the main character in the series. He is a slave that later becomes the most wanted and victorious soldier in Sparta. He is always looking to improve the situations they are on, and gives his best. • Sarpedon: Sarpedon is a old, wise man. He is the grandfather of Lysander. He teaches Lysander how to fight, and be a true Spartan. He suffers along Sparta, but never gives up. • Demaratos: he is Lysander’s friend. He is always at his side, and always protects Lysander from danger. He is a mighty and cruel warrior.

INTRODUCTION TO BOOK 1 • Lysander is a poor helot boy who´s mother had an secret baby with prince Thorakis , a really important guy in Sparta, and Lysander is the baby. His grandfather Sarpedon ( from the Spartan council ) found him and took him to train in the barracks( a place where they train every Spartan child to become a soldier) to become a Spartan soldier. He is bullied by a boy named Demaratos and his peers. His father left him an only inheritance, precious stone that gives him power to fight and not to cry. It is stolen in a market. After that, focusing on his life again, he wins the Olympic Games from within the barracks and miraculously wins. He gains respect from the boys at the barracks.

LYSANDER Character Traits • • Shy Weak Perseverant Smart Humble Poor Sneaky In this book Lysander learned to stand up for himself, and to work not only for glory but for his family, or someone else. He also learned to not be afraid from his bullies or people who bother him.

BIRTH OF A WARRIOR BOOK 2

INTRODUCTION TO BOOK 2 • In this book Lysander as well as all the boys of Sparta suffer a rise up from the helots organized by the Sarpedon´s slave himself. A random helot held Sarpedon by his knees and was about to kill him when Lysander comes and convinces the to make peace. Afterwards all the soldiers go to a war at the Augean Sea. Meanwhile Lysander and Demaratos are in an Ordeal. It is a test to become a true Spartan soldier, they are left alone in the mountains for many days. When they are up in the mountains they see the Persians attacking from the North. They run to the Barracks and tell everyone. The Persians see the opportunity and attack Sparta by the North. All the boys go to war. Many die including their mentor Diokles. Kassandra ( Lysander´s cousin ) was kidnapped and taken to a boat by a Persian general. Demaratos and Lysander go after her and when they step in the Persian boat, General Vaumisia, the mightiest fighter of the Persians, was on board. Sarpedon comes and says that he would kill himself in change of letting his two grandchildren go. They escape but Sarpedon kills himself by thrusting a sword into his chest. Lysander is known all across the globe for being the savior of Sparta.

LYSANDER • Brave • Leader • Powerful • Smart • Strong • Respected • Famous • In this book Lysander learned to steal things, to fight against the ones he hates, to protect his peers and to be a leader for the ones who are leaderless, and to stand up for himself against the ones that are more powerful than him.

Book 3 LEGACY OF BLOOD

INTRODUCTION TO BOOK 3 In this book Lysander gets kidnapped by Tellios (one of the Ephors from the council ). He tells him to not say a word about his adventure with General Vaumisia because if he did, he would be dead. He finds the Fire of Ares and gives it to Demaratos now that they were friends to keep it safe. Lysander didn´t feel he deserved it. One of Sparta´s colony is attacked and since the soldiers are away at war they have to fight again amongst their new mentor Aristodermus. They fight the Tartarians. In this journey their boat sinks and they have to swim till shore. Then they fight against the Tartarians but to defend themselves they have to go into a building but the Tartarians try to burn it down. Afterwards Prokles saves Lysander and they return home victorious. When they go back, in the way they found a good friend dead inside a cave. That gives them anger, and with that put in mind, they free all the Helots from their lives.

LYSANDER • • Brave Strong Smart Leader Thoughtful Courageous Heroic In this book Lysander learns to be tough and help others. He is a leader in this book and helps his teammates to survive during war. He is also thoughtful because of the great ideas he gave.

GOVERNMENT • The government is Sparta is very varied. The most important people are the two kings. After go the Council, or Ephors. They are like a board of directors. The soldiers are crucial for battles. The slaves or Helots, are treated a something that don´t have feelings. They are not even considered as human beings. People think that their brains are designed to follow orders. The boys at the barracks train so harshly that an army of thirteen year old boys can defeat a Persian army ten times bigger. Their mentors treat them like garbage. But if it weren´t for that training, they wouldn´t become the soldiers Sparta needs. The Council does what it pleases as they have the King´s permission and it is on the law.

SOCIAL PROBLEMS • Sociality is not vey polite in Sparta. There are 3, or we could say 4 types of social classes, including the Kings. The Helots, The Spartans, The Ephors, and the Kings. The helots are poor, lonely people that live in the vast outskirts of Sparta, cultivating crops. In the society, they are seen as nobodies, as not people, not even animals, they are things to the Spartans. The Helots are not considered, pure blood Spartans, even if they are born there. Helots are there only to be tortured and to cultivate crops for the soldiers. They try to do rebellions, but never are efficient. The Spartans are the women, soldiers and man of Sparta. They are right, man, who are normal in the community of Sparta. The soldiers, stand up, and give their lives for Sparta. The Spartans, and any other social class, treat the Helots badly. They are nobody to them. Each soldier has its own, Helot slave. Merchandisers, are also considered Spartans, they also have slaves, and are well man in the community. The Ephors are wealthy, rich, powerful man. They are one of the most richest and important sector of Sparta. They make decisions, and have the rights to vote for what is good for the people. They discriminate the Helots badly, who are persons that are there, just helping them. They are seen as literally no one. A glass of water is beside them, that appears magically. They are a council who are very powerful and have many rights. The kings, are the kings. They are the absolute rulers, the main authority. So as you can see, the level of discrimination in Sparta, is highly outrageous.

SOCIAL CLASSES The Helots The Kings and Ephors The Mighty soldiers

MAIN LESSONS. • Throughout this series Lysander learned to stand up for himself and that bravery and friendship are two important pieces of life. Confidence is more important that it looks like and that you can trust friends. • Demaratos learned in throughout this adventure, that not always, your best friend has to be the meanest, toughest, and most popular guy in the block. But it is the one who stands for the other, the one that has the biggest heart. • Sarpedon learned how to be a thoughtful, and responsible grandfather a long to be a great ruler. People respect him because he earned respect by being a true and fair ruler.

LESSON • We thought that the author was trying to tell us, that we should never give up. Doesn't matter in the situation you are on, or the difficulties you are facing, you always have to be perseverant and fight for what you want. Nothing is free in life, and you got work if you want something.