Posted on 03/12/2007 2:54:43 PM PDT by freedom44
What Was the Battle at Thermopylae?:
Thermopylae was a pass that the Greeks tried unsuccessfully to defend in battle against the Persians led by Xerxes in 480 B.C.Although the Spartans who led the defense were all killed (and may have known in advance that they would be), their courage provided inspiration to the Greeks, many of whom otherwise might have willingly become part of the Persian Empire (the relevant verb is "medize" from the word Mede). The following year the Greeks did win battles agains the Persians.
Persians Attack the Greeks at Thermopylae:
Xerxes' fleet of Persian ships had sailed along the coastline from northern Greece into the Gulf of Malia on the eastern Aegean Sea towards the mountains at Thermopylae. The Greeks faced the Persian army at a narrow pass there that controlled the only road between Thessaly and Central Greece. The Spartan general and king Leonidas was in charge of the Greek forces that tried to restrain the vast Persian army and keep them from attacking the rear of the Greek navy (under Athenian control). Leonidas may have hoped to block them long enough that Xerxes would have to sail away for food and water. Ephialtes and Anopaia:
Unfortunately for Leonidas, after a couple of days, a medizing traitor named Ephialtes led the Persians around the pass behind the Greek army. The name of Ephialtes' path behind the pass at Thermopylae (which means "hot gates") is Anopaea (or Anopaia); its exact location is debated.
Leonidas sent away most of the amassed troops.
THIS IS 300 the 'movie'
Greeks Fight the Immortals:
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) The Spartan-led forces fought this unstoppable Persian force to their deaths in order to block the pass long enough to keep Xerxes and his army occupied while the rest of the Greek
Alexander temporarily united Greece by force 150 years later but that fell apart on his death.
And there were no Muslims involved! All this happened about 1100 years before Mo deflowered his first nine year old.
You will enjoy it. Maybe not so much if you pick it apart from the most tactical strategy level. But the representation of the elite Spartans was pretty impressive.
And no movie will ever depict gore quiet how it happens in real life. If it were real in this movie these guys would literally be drenched in blood and they aren't.
Actually the Imortals were veterans who were called the Imortals because there number never droped below 10000 as a man fell there ranks were replaced by veterns waiting in the wings, sort of like our National Guards.
Also there chosen tactic was the falanx formation, men shoulder width apart with shield and spear in multiple rows deep. While most engagement were short usually only minutes. They would rotate forward troops to the rear for rest during lulls or at timed intervals.
Also the spartans had superior armor and weapons, thier shield were wood covered in copper. The persian did not have that technology in great numbers.
Greece ultimately DEFEATED THE PERSIANS .. and saved Greece as a nation; and saved that part of the region from becomming Muslim territory.
I'm sorry you are a little ahead in your time line, the battle of thermopaly tool place in 408 bc a good 900 year before Mohamed and Islam. The persians at that time were polytheistic.
What an odd question. So far as I know, all threads are spun from dead fibers, to minimize shrinkage.
Okay, okay; toke a rope and gag me.
.
The Persian VersionTruth-loving Persians do not dwell upon
The trivial skirmish fought near Marathon.
As for the Greek theatrical tradition
Which represents that summer’s expedition
Not as a mere reconnaisance in force
By three brigades of foot and one of horse
(Their left flank covered by some obsolete
Light craft detached from the main Persian fleet)
But as a grandiose, ill-starred attempt
To conquer Greece—they treat it with contempt;
And only incidentally refute
Major Greek claims, by stressing what repute
The Persian monarch and the Persian nation
Won by this salutary demonstration:
Despite a strong defence and adverse weather
All arms combined magnificently together.— Robert Graves.
You are right, this battle took place more than one thousand years before Muhammad was born. However, if Greece had been part of the Persian Empire, it might have fallen to the Arabs when they conquered the Persians in the middle of the seventh century.
Geeeeee thanks for telling me that .. I've only heard it for about 50 times or more. Sometime it helps if people read more than 1 msg on the thread!
Sorry, to be repetative. But I don't have all day to read everthing here or anywhere.
I always thought the definition of a good pun is the amount of groaning you hear in response.
I suppose you could say Herodotus is recording something the Spartan's wrote about themselves which is likely to be exaggerated.
I don't know who's orders the Spartans refer to. The history I've read on this says the Spartans insisted on standing their ground in the councils that were held with the soldiers of the other Greek city-states. So they followed their own orders and are dead.
Military historians call this maneuver "The Jon Kerry."
Not to be too picky, but I think you meant "The Jon Kerry Manoover"
Got to get yer speling rite or yule end up in Eyerak.
I guess I just got carried away.
I saw it yesterday. While the cinematography was rich-looking, and the acting performances were stronger than I had expected, the movie is incredibly violent. A water tower's worth of splattered blood, most of it being spilled in super slo-mo.
Not a chick flick, that's for sure. And don't plan on going out for dinner after the matinee!
Exaggerating the numbers involved in a battle? I'm sure that never happens.
The Spartan Epitaph was written from the point of view of the soldiers who died, saying they took the orders of the Spartan government (primarily the Ephers) who had sent them to Thermopylae. Like Nelson, they could have said, "Thank God, I have done my duty." But that is less evocative.
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