In zack snyders 300, the battle of thermopylae, the life of the spartans and the glory of war comes to life on the big screen for all audiences worldwide. The fifth day of the persian occupation at thermopylae would be the day the conflict began. Analysis of the movie 300 the battle of thermopylae 1560 words 7 pages. Most people know about the battle of thermopylae, even if they dont recognize the name. The story of leonidas and the legendary battle of the 300 at thermopylae most people who have watched zack snyders famous 2007 fantasy historical film 300, might think they know the ancient greek story of leonidas and the battle of thermopylae, but the historic facts are quite different to what was portrayed in the fantasy film. Now, the history channel offers a definitive perspective on the epic conflict.
In one of historys greatest displays of military heroism, 300 spartans outside thermopylae. Hed have them all form a line behind strong shields and lock formation, relying on long spears to deal with advancing enemy infantry. But while greece showed these inclinations to join the persians, the athenians, for their part, embarked in their ships and hastened to the defence of artemisium. In antiquity its cliffs were by the sea, but silting has widened the distance to more than a mile. The length of the actual conflict was only seven days, with a four day stand off before three days of battle. It gives many important details that have been left out of other tellings. Leonidas, the king of sparta, motivates his warriors to defend the hot gates, thus blocking the invading persian forces of xerxes into the narrow. Thermopylae resonates throughout history as a battle involving extreme courage and sacrifice. The original against all odds battle 300 spartans at the. Professionals in a world of amateurs, the spartans alone of greek cities maintained a standing. Persians under xerxes had both a land and a sea force with which they attempted to defeat those greeks who wouldnt willingly accept persian domination, as many greek citystates had already done. Battle of thermopylae is a symbol of courage and patriotism. That is the reason why the spartans had their reputation for powerful fighting. The performance of the defenders at the battle of thermopylae is also used as an example of the advantages of training, equipment, and good use of terrain as force multipliers and has become a symbol of courage against overwhelming odds.
Battle of thermopylae, august 480 bc military history. The battle of the 300 spartans linkedin slideshare. The king himself remained in the pass with his 300 spartans and 400 thebans, along with 700 thespians who refused to leave. Back then, persia was the superpower, while greece was a collection of citystates. This was a great telling of the battle of thermopylae. The battle of thermopylae 300 spartans and the forgotten citizensoldiers who fought with them by. The battle of thermopylae is literally a textbook case, required reading even to this day at military colleges and officer training around the world. For centuries, students, scholars, historians and military strategists have studied it, and they continue to do so. I love history but who likes boring textbook type information. It was not just 300 spartans, it was a force of about 7,000 from several greek cities. The battle of thermopylae, 480 bc, was a battle in the second persian invasion of greece. The battle of thermopylae august 480 bc is one of the most famous military defeats in history, and is best known for the fate of the 300 spartans, killed alongside 700 thespians on the final day of the battle grecopersian wars.
The spartans were famous for their phalanx formation of battle. Did any of the 300 spartans survive the battle of thermopylae. The greeks chose the narrow pass of thermopylae as the site of the battle in a brilliant strategic move and. Leonidas intent was to delay the persians, sacrificing himself and his men.
This website is dedicated to king leonidas, the 300 spartans, 700 thespians and other greek warriors who fought to the death during the battle of thermopylae hot gates in august, 480 b. Battle in northern greece 480 bc in the persian wars. Nevertheless, he did stick to the gist of what actually happened pretty much. How would leonidas command 300 american soldiers in the.
On this day, xerxes ordered a large contingent of medes to attack the greeks at their position by the phocian wall the narrowest part of the pass. The 300 spartans who fought at the battle of thermopylae had been trained at this school, but they are not famous because they were good soldiers. A surviving bronze sculpture, likely created in or near sparta, depicts a young girl running. Battle of salamis where the greek naval fleet led by themistocles defeats the invading armada of xerxes i of persia. The battle of thermopylae, on 2425 april 1941, was part of the german invasion of greece during world war ii. Following the retreat of allied forces from the mountain passes at olympus and servia, british commonwealth forces began to set up defensive positions at the coastal pass at thermopylae, famous for the battle of.
It is all based around the battle of thermopylae, at which 300 spartans took on a huge number of persian soldiers. The most popular misconception about the battle of thermopylae probably relates to the numbers fielded in the battle. Leonidas, like other spartans, was a religious man. Instead, theyre famous because of how they got to the battle. Battle of thermopylae ancient history encyclopedia. King leonidas and 300 spartans against million persian army. Zac snyders movie, 300, came under fire for its fanciful retelling of the battle of thermopylae. The real history behind the hollywood fiction of spartas participation at battle of thermopylae and its 300 spartans sacrifice. This makes its way onto the blog for men for obvious reasons. The real battle of thermopylae battle of 300 spartans. Vastly outnumbered, the greeks held back the persians for three days in one of historys most famous last stands. Battle of thermopylae simple english wikipedia, the free.
Students may be familiar with this famous battle from its depiction in zack snyders movie 300, based on frank millers graphic novel. Hello, i know that herodotus wrote down the names of the 300 spartans at thermopylae because he said that they deserved to be remembered. The battle of thermopylae is a battle in september 480 bc during the greekpersian war 480 479 bc. In 480 bc a small force of spartans, thespians, and thebans led by king leonidas approximately 300 were full spartiates, 700 were thespians, and 400 were thebans. Battle of thermopylae date, location, and facts britannica. Now i wonder if anyone know where i can find these, cuz i dont, please send a link in that case. The 300 spartans led by the spartan king leonidas met the persians by thermopylae, while the naval forces, which were under. Digg this frank millers graphic novel, 300, comes to theaters on march 9, putting the climactic battle between the ancient persians and the spartans on the big screen. So the battle of thermopylae included a land and sea component.
In this lesson students learn about the historical background to the battle and are asked to ponder some of its legacy, including how history is reported and interpreted from different perspectives. During the second persian invasion of greece, 300 spartans fought against xerxes is forces on a narrow mountain pass. Despite being greatly inferior in numbers, the greeks held the narrow pass for three days with spartan king leonidas fighting a lastditch defence with a small force of spartans and other greek hoplites. The battle that changed the world, describes spartas unique society and culture at the time xerxes was amassing his army. It was fought between an alliance of greek citystates, led by sparta, and the persian empire of xerxes i. How, if at all, could the persians have won at the battle. In fact, in many corners of popular culture, the encounter is often depicted as 300 spartans aided by their ragtag group of allies versus over a million persians. The battle of thermopylae s political origins can be traced back to xerxes predecessor, darius i the great, who sent heralds to greek cities in 491 bce in the hopes of persuading them to accept persian authority. Dont believe the hype spartans were not known for being particularly inventive or strategically minded. He betrayed his homeland, in hope of receiving some kind of reward from the persians, by showing the persian forces a path around the allied greek position at the pass of thermopylae, which. The battle of thermopylae is arguably the most famous battle before ce, certainly ranking up there with zama during the punic wars 2nd century bce and tours in 732 ce. In 490 the persian emperor darius had sent an invasion force across the aegean to punish eretria and athens for their support of the ionian revolt. The spartan and thespian last stand has been immortalized in the works of herodotus and glorified in the 1962 movie the 300 spartans starring richard egan, along with many other mediums consisting of. It took place in 479 bc near the city of plataea in boeotia, and was fought between an alliance of the greek citystates including sparta, athens, corinth and megara, and the persian empire of xerxes i allied with boeotians, thessalians, and macedonians.
Have they found the dead bodies of the 300 spartans answers. Review written 01252019 this book is a history of the battle of thermopylae and the second greek and persian war. The battle of thermopylaes political origins can be traced back to xerxes predecessor, darius i the great, who sent heralds to greek cities in 491 bce in the hopes of persuading them to accept persian authority. The movie was generally accepted as a pretty good action flick. The last stand of the 300 spartans top documentary films. Frank miller wrote and illustrated with lynn varley a 1998 comic book called 300 about the battle, and the last stand. This is information but told in a way that brings the people alive. It took place in a narrow gorge, called thermopylae, where a group of 300 spartan hoplites died heroically, blocking a way to the persian army of the tsar xerxes i. Its story is based on the famous battle of thermopylae, quote the battle of thermopylae r. It was fought for 3 days in the year 480 bc and was part of the second persian invasion of greece led by xerxes the great. Thermopylae is primarily known for the battle that took place there in 480 bc, in which an outnumbered greek force probably of seven thousand including the famous 300 spartans, 500 warriors from tegea, 500 from mantinea, 120 from arcadian orchomenos, from the rest of arcadia, 200 from phlius, 80 from mycenae, 400 corinthians, 400 thebans, phocians and the opuntian locrians held off. The film promises to be a heavily stylized visual bacchanalia to be sure, but, in its subject matter and its timing, it promises to convey a message both about our understanding of the ancient past and our understanding of. Still a tiny figure compared to the forces against themthere is evidence that the vast persian army has been vastly exaggeratedbut more than the legend, which forgets some contributors. The story of leonidas and the legendary battle of the 300.
The battle is also referred to in the context of the vietnam war in the film go tell the spartans. Today, a road is located where the sea washed ashore in 480. Battle of thermopylae is most famous for the last stand of 300 spartans though it is not known by many that it also involved 1100 warriors from other greek states. In the battle of thermopylae as detailed almost entirely by herodotus, which occurred in 480 bc, an alliance of greek citystates fought the invading persian empire at the pass of thermopylae in central greece. It was in this rocky pass in northern greece that leonidas, king of the spartans and commanderinchief of the greek force, delayed the persian. Battle of thermopylae facts, myths, legends, map, pictures and statistics. The battle of plataea was the final land battle during the second persian invasion of greece.
From a combined force of 7,000 allied greek forces holding the pass of thermopylae, to the athenian sea battle fending off the persian fleet from flanking the spartans and the allied greek ground troops holding thermopylae, to the persians destruction of athens. It is based on material from the wikipedia article battle of thermopylae. The myth legend says that that 300 spartans alone defended the hot gates at thermopylae during the first day the persians were said to have shot sow many arrows at once that it blacked out the sun the persian army, according to myth, numbered over 1 million strong end show. The moral victory may go to the greeks, and everyone loves a good last stand, but ultimately the persians won the battle, and were able to continue thei. Thermopylae is a mountain pass near the sea in northern greece which was the site of several battles in antiquity, the most famous being that between persians and greeks in august 480 bce. The first line of defense would be at thermopylae, an area in central greece north of the gulf of corinth where three narrow passes form a gap between mountains and sea. The persians won the battle of thermompylae, and not only won, but won an astonishing victory. With such cinematic details, no wonder this sensational battle inspired the blockbuster film 300. Although there were 300 spartans present at the defense of thermopylae, there were at least 4,000 allies involved on the first two days and 1,500 men involved in the fatal last stand.