Posted on 03/12/2007 2:54:43 PM PDT by freedom44
Plus, the move was absolutely awesome if not 100% accurate in every detail.
Thank GOD you cleared that up.
Remember.......Comic book......
The Immortals were only a small part of the Persian army. They were the elite troops not used on ordinary tasks.
You guys are forgetting a critical fact. This battle gave the rallying cry to the anti-anti-gun folks.
When Xerxes told the Spartans to lay down their weapons, he was told "Molon Labe" (come and take them).
With the Dems in power in Congress, this is something to keep in mind.
What? The movie shows that the Greeks lost and all the Spartans were killed.
"On the third day, Leonidas led his 300 Spartan hoplites (elite troops selected because they had living sons back home) plus the allied Thespians and Thebans against Xerxes and his army of "10,000 Immortals." (Not ONE MILLION)"
This is a mistake. The Immortals were an elite force within the larger contingent variously estimated from some hundreds of thousands and as many as two million men. Xerxes drew troops from all over his empire, which, at the time stretched from Asia minor to India and to Egypt as well, so it is not beyond possibility for him to raise an enourmous force. The Immortals were essentially the palace gaurd, consisting of fanatically loyal and superbly trained soldiers. It was these that the 300 Spartans met with Leonidas and defeated. Only the betrayal of a Greek, giving away the secret of a pass that enabled Xerxes to encircle Leonidas, brought about the ultimate slaughter of the 300.
Not according to Historian Victor David Hanson who wrote about the famous battle & advised the makers of the movie for historical accuracy.
The 300 were able to defeat hugely superior numbers due to a combination of factors: they WERE superb soldiers and they had a fanatical tradition of fierceness and courage in the face of any foe. Finally, and perhaps most important, they defended a pass so narrow that it was impossible for the Persian forces to concentrate sufficient troops to overwhelm the 300. In the age of the sword and spear, your attack is only as good as the number of points you can present directly at enemy flesh. If the gap could be filled by a hundred men, the Persians could only face them with a hundred men at a time.
The 300 were able to defeat hugely superior numbers due to a combination of factors: they WERE superb soldiers and they had a fanatical tradition of fierceness and courage in the face of any foe. Finally, and perhaps most important, they defended a pass so narrow that it was impossible for the Persian forces to concentrate sufficient troops to overwhelm the 300. In the age of the sword and spear, your attack is only as good as the number of points you can present directly at enemy flesh. If the gap could be filled by a hundred men, the Persians could only face them with a hundred men at a time.
There were actually 1,300 defenders. 1,000 plus the 300 Spartans. I haven't seen the movie but historical accuracy isn't Hollywood's forte.
From the commercials I have seen of the movie trailer the Spartans look a bit like professional wrestlers and not the elite special forces that they were.
Was it the Battle of Salamis or Bolognas?
Yes, I know.
Hulk Hogan and Gorgeous George were there?
Very good. Murtha, Pelosi, Durbin, Kennedy, Obama...
Equal Opportunity Treachery nowadays.
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