Poseidon, Hera, Athena, Aphrodite, Zeus; These are all gods and goddesses from Hellenic (Ancient Greek) mythology who have been worshiped and prayed to by the people of Hellas for millennia, although not today, but the gods were once the center of life in Hellas. The Hellenes prayed, worshiped, sacrificed animals, gave up wine and food, and worshiped the gods because of their power and authority over them. Hoplite: Torch of Prometheus, by Michael Pritsos, takes place in the eighteenth year of the Peloponnesian War (413 BC) in Hellas. The main character, Maxites, is the adopted son of King Diocrates of a fictional polis named Devanum. Through trials, near-death experiences, nightmares and visions, conversations with the gods, and the loss of almost everyone he loves, Maxites learns to lead, follow orders, suffer loss, and survive in the most difficult conditions. The dominant Hellenistic culture as depicted in this novel negatively impacted and influenced those living in Hellas at that time. This ancient culture oppressed the Hellenes specifically through gender roles, family, and community. By oppressing these people, Hellenistic culture did not give them the human rights they deserved. To begin with, the first way Hellenes were negatively influenced by their culture was through gender roles, these gender roles also undermined the rights of Hellenes. . When Maxites leaves Devanum to meet his future bride, he enters his polis named Sunium and helps his own men of Devanum build a shield wall around Sunium to protect those of Sunium from the wrath of the barbarian Spartans. While he and his men worked, Adara (his future wife) and some other women from Sunium fed them and gave them water. In a ...... middle of paper ......tre. Internet. April 11, 2014. .lPomeroy, Sarah B. Goddesses, whores, wives and slaves: women in classical antiquity. London: Robert Hale, 1975. Books.google.ca. Google, May 18, 2011. Web. April 10, 2014. “Slavery in Ancient Greece.” Slavery in ancient Greece. Np, and Web. April 23, 2014. .Villing, Alexandra. The Ancient Greeks: Their Lives and Their World. Los Angeles: J. Paul Getty Museum, 2010. Print. Wilson, Nigel G. “Prostitution.” Encyclopedia of Ancient Greece. 2006. Print. Pritsos, Michael. Hoplite: Torch of Prometheus. BookSurge Publishing, 2008. Print.