The 300 Spartans

[luisfc1972]

well folks, for us who like epics it seems that 300 has been greenlighted. it is about the 300 spartans and 7 thousand greek allies at the battle of thermopylae. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0416449/ it is based on frank miller's graphic novel which i own. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/custom ... 46&s=books this is good news given whats happened this year with alexander

[jona]

Let's hope this movie will be better than the 1961 film with more or less the same title and subject (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0055719/ ) because that was one of the most disappointing movies I've ever seen.Jona

[marcus]

Hi Jona,I'm sure it will be better. Having said that, I do rather like the 61 film. Of course there are plenty of things wrong with it, and the Spartan 'phalanx' at Thermolypae is ludicrous - the Persians wouldn't have needed a goat path to defeat them! - but I still consider it to be one of the better historical 'epics' of the period.All the bestMarcus

[yiannis]

Our Italian friends (Cinecitta?) were putting all Greek myths and stories on film back then. They were usually low-budget and poor historically, but not necessarily "bad" films (well, it was no Ben Hur either!

[iskander_32]

Marcus HailI thought 300 Spartans was good for its day as Alexander was.300 Spartans Started me on my learning with ancient Greece where I arrived with Alexander.To be critical with the stpory its assumed they stood alone but as stated tyhere were about 8000,, I may be a spoiler but I believe that force could have held that pass indefinately as it was basically bottle neck.Once surrounded it was pretty swift,,, I think the Zulu movie where a small force held thousands of Zulus at roarks drift from every side.Regards
Kenny

[marcus]

Hi Kenny,If they hadn't been taken from the rear then they certainly could have held the pass for much longer than three days. Whether it would have been indefinite, I don't know.However, in the film it so clearly *isn't* a bottleneck, which is where it falls down. There's a lovely camera shot of the Spartans in their lines, and there's about 5 feet between every man ... they would, in reality, have been overwhelmed in about 5 minutes! :-)But it was a pretty good film for its day, undoubtedly.All the bestMarcus

[luisfc1972]

i liked the 300 Spartans but the romance between ephialtes (i think) and the girl, i forget her name, was just out of place. i dont think the spartans were very romantic hehehe.

[jan]

HI Jona, If you were disappointed in that, you will really be in shock with Alexander. I bought 300 Spartans, because my student number when I was at Michigan State University, is 300, and the mascot is the Spartans, and I graduated from there in '61. It was quite a revelation to me to see the connections, and so I bought the movie, told Steven Pressfield all about it too. Funny since my sorority at Kent State had lambda in it also, as that was my chapter house, lambda delta! Meaning the 100th chapter. So it all seemed to me to be quite a coincidence! Now, of course, I know it is no coincidence at all.I began my student teaching experience teaching Greek literature of all things, something I knew nothing about but as I followed a girl who was Greek, they figured I could do it too. Years later, I realized finally how I had been set up. Amazing to me that it has taken this long to learn all this, but so I have finally learned. I had always wondered about it when the Detroit Free Press had clued me into some plot about having to go to Greece, and that was gossip about Love Boat.Now I have finally learned all about Alexander, the 300 Spartans, and more...just altogether shocking to me that the truth emerges sooner or later after all. I truly had had no idea! My social security number has 300 in it also, so that has explained some of it as I see the match for the Battle of Charonea in that also. But Chares of Mitylene was the real eyeopener for me when I learned of him...why that is almost like my middle name!

[iskander_32]

Hi FolksEphialtes was the guy who showed the Persians the rout behind the Greeks.The Romance, I recently watched a documentary on Spartans and It came as quit a shock to me that Homosexual;it was compulsory between Spartan men and seldom shared company of women.
Kenny

[luisfc1972]

Gates of fire is my favorite book of all time. i havent read mary renault or manfredies books on alexander though.

[manos]

the persian war (greece vs persia) didn't take place at the smae period of alexanders campaign (greek city macedonia vs all east). I can't understand what anout 7.000 greek allies. In Thermopyles were 300 Spartans defending their land against thousands of persians.There also a new film coming about this battle "the gates of fire" (is the translation of the word "Thermopyles")and I think is really interesting check this out.

[manos]

the persian war (greece vs persia) didn't take place at the smae period of alexanders campaign (greek city macedonia vs all east). I can't understand what anout 7.000 greek allies. In Thermopyles were 300 Spartans defending their land against thousands of persians.There also a new film coming about this battle "the gates of fire" (is the translation of the word "Thermopyles")and I think is really interesting check this out.

[marcus]

Hi Manos,There were only 300 Spartans, that's true. But there were over 7,000 soldiers from other city states at Thermolypae, too. When the Persians outflanked their position, Leonidas (the Spartan king) dismissed those allies who remained, although some of them did stay to fight to the end.The reason why Thermopylae has become famous purely because of the 300 Spartans is their dogged refusal to flee, and their sacrifice at the end; also the way that the story was presented in Herodotus, who focused on the Spartans more than any of the allies.All the bestMarcus