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<\/figure>\n\n\n\n300: What The Movie Got Right<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
While the Battle of Thermopylae events happened long before the movie, you can’t forget the events of\u00a0300<\/em>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the 2006 movie got some things right. The Persians outnumbered the Greeks, and they didn’t stand a chance against the Persians in a head-on battle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The movie accurately portrays the Spartan soldiers as the best warriors in Greece. They were highly trained, disciplined, and resilient. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Spartan soldiers were known for their bravery and were not afraid to die in battle. Spartans valued honor and glory; spartan boys trained to be soldiers and served their state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The movie\u00a0300<\/em>\u00a0also gives a good sense of the fighting at Thermopylae. It was brutal, and there was some hand-to-hand combat where the Spartans and their forces initially suffered minor casualties. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The Spartans used their shields to block the arrows of the Persian army using the\u00a0Phalanx<\/em>\u00a0method. However, to diminish their vulnerability of low numbers, the Spartans did engage the sheer numbers of the Persian army in the pass on the\u00a0Thermopylae coast<\/a>, also known as the “Fire Gates<\/strong>,” named after the hot springs located there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Persian army was too vast, and it could not utilize its numbers to overwhelm the Greeks and, therefore, resorted to a new plan. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Eventually, the Persians could flank the Greeks, and this is where the horde ultimately defeated the Greeks. Although they were outnumbered and outflanked, King Leonidas and the Spartan soldiers fought to the last man, remaining behind to halt the Persian army’s advance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The movie 300<\/em> is a great story, but its origins come from a graphic novel by Frank Miller<\/strong> and not the true story of the Battle of Thermopylae. Let’s look at what happened outside of the sensational story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To understand the Thermopylae, we must first understand the Spartans’ way of life. Spartan boys were taken from their families at seven and sent to the Agoge System. Historically, the program was formed by\u00a0Lycurgus<\/strong>\u00a0in the 9th century BC and was the\u00a0foundation<\/a>\u00a0of Sparta’s military strength and political power.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Spartan boys were “raised” by the agoge and would train daily, learning how to fight and survive as a unit. After many\u00a0helot<\/em>\u00a0uprisings, the Greeks first instilled the system to help Sparta maintain its power.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Helots<\/em>\u00a0were Spartan slaves who made up most of the population. The agoge system kept the\u00a0helots<\/em>\u00a0in line and prevented any future rebellions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Spartan boys learned how to be stoic and unfeeling. They were not allowed to show any emotion, complain, and were expected to suppress any pain or suffering. The harsh curriculum was necessary to make them tougher and more resilient in battle. Spartan boys were also given very little to eat so that they would learn to steal. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Stealing was considered a skill that every Spartan boy needed; however, the boys received beatings if caught. The boys learned to read and write, speaking in modern-day\u00a0laconic<\/em>\u00a0as Spartans believed that any action or routine that wasted time was discouraged. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The agoge system forced Spartan boys to endure pain and hardships, such as sleeping outside in the cold winter months and running long distances, to form their uncanny resilience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Spartan boys would train for years in the agoge system, and if they passed all the tests, they would become Spartan soldiers. Each boy passed through three separate stages of training:\u00a0paides\u00a0<\/em>(seven to seventeen<\/strong>),\u00a0paidiskoi\u00a0<\/em>(seventeen to nineteen<\/strong>), and\u00a0hebontes\u00a0<\/em>(twenty to twenty-nine<\/strong>). <\/p>\n\n\n\n Boys were grouped into “herds” and encouraged to fight and compete with one another. As a result, spartan soldiers were some of the best in Greece. Known for their bravery, they were not afraid to die in battle.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Greek historian\u00a0Xenophon<\/a>\u00a0recorded much of Spartan history, and through his writing, we get a good sense of Spartan culture. He also talks about the Spartan way of life and how soldiers lived simple lives without luxury. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Spartan boys also dined in communal mess halls known as\u00a0Syssitia,<\/strong>\u00a0where they ate with men of different ages to instill layers of wisdom and experience throughout their upbringing. As a militaristic society, Spartans valued honor and service to their state.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n The movie\u00a0300<\/em>\u00a0also depicts Leonidas as the only king of Sparta. There were two kings at the time,\u00a0Leonidas<\/strong>\u00a0and his co-regent\u00a0Leotychides<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Leonidas wasn’t the first son of King\u00a0Anaxandridas<\/strong>. Urged by the elders and against Spartan customs, Anaxandridas was allowed to take a second wife due to his first wife having issues conceiving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n From his second marriage, Anaxandridas had one heir named\u00a0Cleomenes<\/strong>. Eventually, his first wife produced three heirs,\u00a0Dorieus<\/strong>,\u00a0Leonidas<\/strong>, and\u00a0Cleobromtus<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Leonidas would endure the Agoge like his brothers, while the Cleomenes did not have to participate. In this way, Leonidas endured years of military training, honing his physical discipline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to Spartan customs, the eldest son would inherit his father’s position, so when Anaxandridas died, Cleomenes ascended to the throne. <\/p>\n\n\n\n However, Dorieus went to Sicily to establish colonies during his brother’s reign, eventually ending his life. Cleomenes died shortly after leaving no heir, making Leonidas next in line to take the throne. It’s important to note that although Leonidas was the ruling king, it didn’t give him full power as there was a second king, as it was customary in Sparta, named\u00a0Leotychides<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n It’s easy to see why the story of the Batte of Thermopylae because so popular. It’s a great story – a ragtag group of heroes outnumbered and outgunned, fighting against the odds to defend their homeland. And while the basic facts of the battle are accurate, some details have been embellished over the years.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n For example, the famous movie\u00a0300<\/em>\u00a0portrays the Spartans as a group of 300 men who were hand-picked for their strength and skill. In reality, while many Spartan men trained from an early age to be\u00a0Hoplite warriors<\/a>, the Spartan force at Thermopylae totaled between 700 and 1,000 men. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The number 300 is likely a mistake made by the ancient historian\u00a0Herodotus<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Furthermore, Leonidas opposed Xerxes and his army with at least 7,000 men. While Athens and Sparta were the primary opponents of Persian rule, other Greek city-states<\/a> joined them in the fight.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Another popular misconception about the battle was that it was primarily Greeks against Persians. Instead, the Persian army consisted of Greek soldiers from states the Persians had conquered. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The other popular misconception about Leonidas’ entire force is that they were all professional soldiers. Most men who fought at Thermopylae were farmers or tradespeople drafted into service. Only the Spartan soldiers, conditioned for war from childhood, could be considered professional soldiers.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n When the Persian king Xerxes invaded Greece in 480 BC, he brought a massive army. The exact size of the Persian army is unknown, but\u00a0estimates\u00a0put Xerxes’ army between 70,000 and 300,000. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In contrast, the Greek forces were tiny by comparison. For example, the Spartan force at Thermopylae consisted of between 700 and 1,000 men, while the Greek force numbered around 7,000.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While popular media depicts Leonidas fighting against corrupt bureaucrats to defend his country, the truth is more complicated. In reality, the War Council refrained from combat during the important religious festival of\u00a0Karneia<\/em>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The council decided that a regiment of Spartans and\u00a0helots\u00a0would go to the pass to defend it while the remaining Spartan army remained home until the festival was over. Leonidas took his bodyguard along as he marched to meet the Persians.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While the movie depicts the 300 Spartans joining a small force of Arcadians led by\u00a0Daxos<\/strong>, the truth is much different. Greek historians estimated that the army consisted of 3,800 Peloponnesians (Lacedemonians, Arcadians, Corinthians, Tegeans, Mantineans, Philians, and Myceneans). <\/p>\n\n\n\n In addition, 700 Thespians, 1,000 Phocians, and 400 Thebans joined the military. Finally, counting the\u00a0helots<\/em>\u00a0who served each Spartan warrior is essential, putting their numbers around 900.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Persian king Xerxes planned the invasion of Greece for years, but he was not the first king to have the idea.\u00a0Darius I<\/strong>, Xerxes’ father, had already tried to send heralds in 491 BC to convince Greece to accept Persian rule. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The Greeks were offended by this message and refused. However, when Xerxes became king in 480 BC, he finally launched his attack.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Persian army quickly conquered much of Greece, including the city-states of Athens and Thebes, using their vast numbers to overwhelm their enemies. The Greek city-states had been at war for many years, but the Persians united them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The Greeks realized they needed to put aside their differences to survive against the Persians. Therefore, King Leonidas led an army of Greeks to the narrow pass of Thermopylae.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the movie\u00a0300<\/em>\u00a0depicted him in his mid-30s and physically experienced. However, he was actually in his 60s and considered too old for battle. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The battle is also depicted as an all-out last stand to prevent the Persians from entering central Greece. While one part is genuine, the assault included over 270 Athenian ships defending the Artemisium against the Persian navy.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Spartans fought bravely against the Persians in Thermopylae alongside other Greek soldiers. However, while Leonidas and the Spartans used the\u00a0Phalanx<\/em>, it was more crucial to their fighting style. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In truth, Spartan soldiers rarely ever broke ranks, as doing so would make the\u00a0Phalanx<\/em>\u00a0vulnerable and leave individual soldiers open to attack. So, while the movie’s action worked well for cinema, it wasn’t accurate in portraying the Spartan’s fighting style.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Persians were a vast army with the numbers to overwhelm their opponents, and they used volleys of arrows to wear down their opponents. However, this tactic didn’t work against the Greeks at Thermopylae. Also, while Persians often rode horses into battle, it did not help them in close combat against the brutality of Spartan swords, spears, and shields.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Xerxes did not cross all of Greece with large elephants and other giant war animals; this was all for the movie. Even the fabled “Immortals” (a name given to the elite Persian soldiers) could not penetrate the Phalanx<\/em> with their numbers and suffered heavy losses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Xerxes was desperate. His army was vast and time was not on his side. Soon, his army would suffer supply shortages and winter hardships. So, Xerxes searched for weakness; a betrayal revealed the flaw and allowed the Persians to break through the Greek lines. <\/p>\n\n\n\nThe Truth: The Life Of The Spartan Boys<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
More Than One King Of Sparta<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The Truth About The Battle: It Was More Than 300 Spartans<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The Heroes Of The Greek Forces At Thermopylae<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The Battle of Thermopylae: What Happened?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Persian Tactics<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The Spartan’s Last Stand<\/h2>\n\n\n\n