Sea of Silver: A Novel of General Themistocles of Athens

Themistocles was born in a tyranny, but later rose through the political ranks of Athenian society to become the voice of the people. He fears that tyranny may return in Athens, and that its return might imperil the early years of democracy. The opposition of the Athenian nobility forces Themistocle [...]
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Themistocles was born in a tyranny, but later rose through the political ranks of Athenian society to become the voice of the people. He fears that tyranny may return in Athens, and that its return might imperil the early years of democracy. The opposition of the Athenian nobility forces Themistocles to eliminate the looming threat of tyranny once and for all in order to help unite Greece against the imminent threat of Persia. The silver mines allow Themistocles to envision the construction of powerful war ships, the triremes, which can allow Athens to prevail over the Persians at sea. He is aware of how the Athenian nobles' goals are aligned with the Persians' desire to see democracy die in the cradle. "Phobos, the factory of fear, is the place where all fears coexist. It is once again on the brink of an unseemly entrance. It turns every celestial ray tremulously devoted to the sun into blackness. It enters an unsuspecting heart, and then instantly proceeds to fully dimming the mind. It slips beneath a layer of flesh, laying briefly dormant before consuming the vessels that constrict until the heart pumps loudly and all courage flees bruised and defeated. Phobos feasts upon helpless silences. It devours the intangible innards of the brave, gnawing away at some irresolute core until a sole victor emerges, one whose name is dread. It unpeels the layers of every warrior code. In times of war, the body learns to translate fear into courage. The body hardens and lets the mind be focused on moving in the strategic unison of a phalanx. Fear knows this. It aims to reverse polarities, turning the heart against the mind until the body rebels against itself. Fear takes over, an ailment nearly beyond remedying."