Valerio Massimo Manfredi (b. 1943) is a famous Italian historian, archaeologist, writer, screenwriter and journalist, participant in the famous Anabasis expedition. An author of historical fiction, Manfredi has received prestigious awards such as the American Biographical Institute's Man of the Year Award, the Hemingway Award, and the Bancarella Award. Manfredi’s bestseller “The Last Legion” formed the basis for the Hollywood blockbuster of the same name (2007) directed by Doug Lefler, starring Colin Firth, Aishwarya Rai and Ben Kingsley. Among Manfredi’s historical adventure books, his magnificent novel about Ancient Sparta received rave reviews from readers and critics. Talos was born crippled and, according to the harsh laws of his warlike country, was doomed to death. The boy is thrown to the wolves, and only by luck is he saved by an old shepherd from the helot slave caste. A wise old man teaches young Talos to resist evil fate and puts a formidable weapon in his hands, predicting a glorious future for the young man... The novel “Spartan” is being published in a new translation.