Aesop Tsolakoglou was a Republic Army general during the Great Galactic War, Cold War, and Galactic War. He became famous after leading troops in the Battle of Thermopylae, a significant victory for the Galactic Republic. It was not necessarily strategically important, but a raised Republic morale in a time of defeat. Hailing from the planet of Axum in the Core Worlds, Tsolakoglou was originally aspiring to be a historian, having an interest in pre-Republic civilizations. However, he decided against it, instead being convinced by a recruiter to join the Army, which he did, in 3,688 BBY. He attended the Raithal Academy and graduated with the rank of major in 3,682 BBY. Tsolakoglou was stationed in the Outer Rim Territories and saw action in some of the first battles of the conflict.
Described as being a quiet, calculating man, Tsolakoglou was considered by his superiors to be a good tactician. For this, he earned a promotion to colonel in 3,675 BBY, and attended the General Staff Academy the next year. Tsolakoglou cared for his troops, and often tried to make his quality of living during the war close to that of his own men. By the time of the Cold War, the general was referred to as "the ancient commander", for his old age as well as his knowledge and interest in pre-Republic history. After commanding forces successfully against greater numbers of Sith troops on Thermopylae, Tsolakoglou earned the nickname "Hero of Themopylae". Not liking politics very much, he tried to avoid it when possible. Early the Galactic War, he created a unit called the Republic Revolutionary Guard, whose task was defence of key worlds in Republic space. After retiring and returning to Axum to find it in a poor state, he ran for prime minister.