[kennyo]

I haven't seen the movie,but the history channel ran a show on this battle.I watched,waiting to hear one of the most famous replies ever given to a demand for surrender.Molon Labe!But it was not to be.

I'm left wondering whether the movie will include this quote,and whether it's absence from the history channel's recounting is due to the fact that it is a rallying cry for supporters of the second amendment.

[Fraxinus]

My understanding is that the 300 were only the rear guard that could not redeploy to another position before they were outflanked. The Greek Hoplite was a heavily armed and armored infantryman. The Spartan and allies were deployed on a coastal flat between the sea and a mountain, a tactical situation suited to Greek training and tactics. The Athenian army was not in this battle, but the Athenian Navy was guarding one flank. Leonidas was in the process of redeploying his troops after three days of battle because the Persians had been shown a goat path that enabled them to outflank the Greek position.

[GoLightly]

Molon Labe!

It was translated into English in the movie.