Non-fictional rebellious characters from Thermopylae remembered (4)
I believe the answer is:
real
'non-fictional' is the definition.
Both the answer and definition are adjectives.
Maybe there's a link between them I don't understand?
'rebellious characters from thermopylae remembered' is the wordplay.
'rebellious' says the letters should be written in reverse.
'characters from' says the answer is hidden in the clue.
'laer' is hidden in the letters of 'thermopylae remembered'.
'laer' written backwards gives 'REAL'.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for real that I've seen before include "Lear, strangely, could actually exist" , "Physically existing" , "Certainly no counterfeit" , "Actual, not imaginary" , "Actual and tangible" .)