Posted on 07/01/2008 7:18:05 PM PDT by dinok
Use it , post it, spread the word.
I just wanted to make clear which picture I was snatching!
It take a Viking to raze a village...
While it may be true that these actualities are inaccessible to us, the closest we can get to them is to read the words ( whether in translation or not ) of the ancient Greek chroniclers, starting with Homer.
The written legacy of ancient Greek culture is breathtaking to behold, and held the greatest minds of Europe in awe throughout the Renaissance and the Enlightenment. Now it suffers neglect, and even disparagement, as never before. The greatest service that a movie such as The 300 provides is that it directs the popular attention towards this legacy, and it may not be going too far to say that our culture cannot survive if it loses its consciousness of its roots therein.
Well, the movie was meant to be a graphic-novel adaptation, not a historical movie, so I really liked it from that perspective.
What is “crewel”?
Exsqueeze me but Sparta wasn't a 'military dictatorship'.
The constitution of Sparta was socio-military. It was ruled by a dual hereditary monarchy, and an oligarchy consisting of magistrates (ephors), a council of twenty-eight elders (gerousia) (all over 60 and appointed for life), and a supreme consultative assembly of all those over 30, with power only to ratify war. The rest of the population were either perioikoi with some independence or helots (serfs).Life in Sparta was definitely no bowl of cherry's, but a 'dictatorship' it wasn't. The Duel 'Kings' reigned for three years IIRC and then new ones took over. And I've never heard 'that popular belief' that Xerxes' Persians were Muslims.
maybe I should get out more? 'Historically speaking' /s
Well, I’m sure that the Helots have their own opinions about Spartan rule, and yes, I do actually have to correct a lot of folks about the ancient Persians, especially after they have seen this movie.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.