In 490 B.C., King Darius of Persia suffered a major defeat during the Battle of Marathon. An outnumbered Athenian force managed to attack and permanently repel Darius’ forces, who were in the process of pushing further into Greece; however, the real war was far from over. Bent on revenge, Darius once again started to rally his troops for a second conquest, but he died in 486 B.C., leaving his son, Xerxes, to carry the torch. This set the stage for what’s held as one of the greatest examples of military strategy in history.
Considering the almost legendary nature of the Battle of Thermopylae, popular media was eager to depict it. This led to two major motion pictures: 300 Spartans (1962) and 300 (2006). While both films were entertaining, artistic license was certainly taken. In reality, the battle was incredible enough on its own, without plot alterations or special effects.
A Numbers Game
A major selling point for the Battle of Thermopylae was the idea that only 300 Greek soldiers — specifically Spartans — went to impede the Persian invasion. This simply wasn’t true. Although King Leonidas knew he was probably heading to his death, he intended to inflict as much damage as possible. Doing so required reinforcements. To that end, he rallied more Greek soldiers from different regions. While historical accounts vary, the final number is estimated at between 5,000 to 8,000 total troops — the famous 300 hoplites among them.
Similarly, most laypeople are under the impression that the Persians were sending millions into battle. This is a gross exaggeration. A number that large would have been unsustainable. After much revision, historians determined that Xerxes’ men numbered at around 100,000 – 200,000, which was still massive.
The Truth About Persia
300 was banned in the Middle East for its inaccurate portrayal of Persia. Although short-tempered and hungry for conquest, Xerxes’ empire was in fact quite diverse and tolerant. While many of Persia’s conquered territories resisted their occupation, the empire had a very “live and let live” attitude to cultural, racial and religious differences.
By contrast, Sparta was a militaristic state, practicing eugenics to prevent birth defects from propagating in the gene pool. In fact, Adolph Hitler mentioned Sparta’s eugenics practices with reverence. The city state would also use its own citizens as practice for elite assassinations. Additionally, Sparta’s isolationist policies made them very unwelcoming to those who didn’t fit in. They were depicted as protagonists, when by today’s standards, such behavior would be considered deplorable.
King Leonidas
In both 300 Spartans and 300, King Leonidas is portrayed as a muscular, heroic man in his 30s — again, another myth for appearances sake. Leonidas was really in his mid to late 60s when he fought alongside his troops. Of course, this doesn’t make for very good eye candy, so the liberties that Hollywood took were unsurprising.
Another little-known fact is that Leonidas wasn’t Sparta’s sole ruler. Spartan law required two kings at any given time. In doing so, power was shared rather than placed in the hands of one individual. Of course, this also led to divisive disagreements.
Finally, there are the details of Leonidas’ death. According to the movie, 300, Leonidas was the last to die, falling valiantly under a barrage of Persian arrows; however, historical accounts show that Leonidas was killed midway through the battle on the third and final day — a scene more accurately displayed in the 1962 feature, 300 Spartans.
Betrayal and Death of Ephialtes
The Greek standoff could arguably have continued for quite some time, had it not been for the interference of the notorious traitor, Ephialtes. He led Persian troops to a hidden path, allowing them to flank the Greek wall of shields and spears. Both 300 Spartans and 300 show Ephialtes in a different light, but in reality, we have no evidence as to Ephialtes’s appearance or motives; however, common sense would dictate that his actions were likely based on money.
Unfortunately for Ephialtes, Persia’s ultimate defeat meant that he never received his reward. His treachery didn’t go unpunished. News of his actions spread quickly, making Ephialtes a wanted man and a price was placed on his head. Ironically, Ephialtes was eventually killed — most likely during a dispute — with a man named Athenades. Although Athenades had no idea about the bounty, he was pleasantly surprised when the Spartans still paid him the reward.
By the end of the battle, Leonidas and his small band had successfully inflicted almost 30,000 casualties against the Persian forces. A combination of military strategy and superior equipment was enough to cripple the Persian advance and lay the foundation for a Greek victory. While we use media to bring events like this to light, we should never use it as a primary learning source. After all, documented facts are more important for understanding history, no matter how fun a good movie may be.
Comments
0 comments