Topic Research: Phoenix

I have always been intrigued by the phoenix, especially the way a phoenix is "reborn" in a cloud of fire and ash. I view this is a form of new beginnings, trying to become better than what you were before you were reborn, regain some of the magic you may have had before.

For the first story, I gained a little bit of inspiration from The Longest Yard. If you have not seen the movie before, it's about a former NFL Quarterback who was accused of point shaving (purposely playing poorly to affect the margin of victory), and then leads a team of prison inmates to victory after gaining their trust that he wasn't going to purposely lose a game against the prison guards. I feel like a story of a great gladiator in Ancient Rome who was purposely losing matches to gain favor, only to come back and redeem themselves would be a great story.

Colosseum in Rome, home to many gladiator battles

Source: Wikipedia

The second story idea I came up with is a world where the Greek people, annoyed with some of the Gods' actions, declare that Zeus is no longer fit to be King of the Gods, and leave him as an outcast, no longer welcome in Greece. Zeus then leaves on a journey, saving multiple people along the way and later rescuing Mount Olympus from destruction when the other gods are unable to prevent the Titans from reclaiming their previous glory without him, leading to him being given his title of King back.

The final story idea is a phoenix who appears in King Leonidas' dreams every night after he loses the trust of Greece for abandoning his men at the Battle of Thermopylae during the Greco-Persian War. The army rejects him, leaving him to fend for himself, and he begins having the dreams of the phoenix. He eventually comes and saves them from annihilation, showing that he is not a coward, and helps them fend off and defeat the Persians.

Battle of Thermopylae

Source: Wikipedia