<center><b>According to Herodotus, not all of the three hundred Spartan warriors perished during the Battle of Thermopylae: Two were spared. <I>Spartan</i> is their story.</b></center><P>This is the epic tale of a noble Spartan family shattered by the law of the land, which forces them to abandon one of their two sons -- Talos, who was born crippled -- to the elements. Brithos, the strong and healthy son, is raised in the caste of the warriors, while Talos is saved by a Helot shepherd and raised among peasants. They live out their story in a world dominated by the brutal, relentless clash between the Persian empire and the city-states of Greece -- until the voice of their blood and of human solidarity unites them in a thrilling, singular enterprise.<P>Full of passion, courage and magic, <I>Spartan</i> is an enthralling novel of the ancient world.