Lessons Of 'The 300'

Post-Gazette.com ^ | March 25, 2007 | Jack kelly

[RDTF]

A society that does not value its warriors will be destroyed by one that does.

A low-budget movie with no recognized stars that presents a cartoonish version of an event that happened long ago and far away is a surprising box office hit.

The movie is "The 300," about the battle in 480 B.C. at Thermopylae between Greeks and Persians. Its opening grossed more than $70 million, more than the next 10 highest grossing movies playing that weekend combined.

"The 300" has been denounced by the government of Iran, and the battle it describes was cited by former Vice President Al Gore in his congressional testimony Wednesday as inspiration for Americans to fight global warming. That's a lot of buzz.

"The 300" has plenty of violence, sex and the largest number of ripped abdomens ever seen on the silver screen, which doubtless counts for much of its appeal. But there is more to it than that.

"The 300" is a simple story of good versus evil. A handful of valiant Spartan warriors, inspired by love of country and love of liberty, fight to the death against a foreign oppressor. (Go tell the Spartans, stranger passing by, that here, obedient to their laws, we lie.)

-snip-

"300" is soaked with the masculine virtues of courage, honor, patriotism and self-sacrifice, and the camaraderie that exists among fighting men who have been through a shared ordeal. These are little valued in Hollywood or contemporary society, and there is a hunger for them. This, I think, is the key to the movie's appeal.

We need to rediscover these virtues. At once the most preposterous and the most dangerous of contemporary beliefs is "nothing was ever settled by violence."

-snip-

[Longinus]

Yeah, I forgot Constantine was peace-nick. Tell that to Maxentius, et al.

Constantine's fight against Maxentius was not fought as a Christian vs a Pagan. In fact Constantine was not a Christian at that time and he was fighting for non theocratic reasons.

I dare you to name one Christian armed revolt against the Roman authorities.

[webstersII]

"Don't let a simplistic but enjoyable movie provide simplistic answers."

Have you seen it?

[Longinus]

Stamata.

The Holy Fathers were and are right about Islam but the Crusade is a heresy to the Orthodox.

The Emperor only requested military aid from the West - no Eastern Orthodox Christian accepted the premise of the Crusade - that if you die in combat with a Muslim during a Crusade you get your sins forgiven and you go to heaven. Alithia or psemata?

[Parmy]

Jesus was emphasising another plane of existence.

It is true that when tyranny takes over the first thing that goes is the freedom of the press. And, the other freedoms subsequently disappear.

Remember, Jesus didn't abolish slavery, didn't abolish mass executions, or any of the things that are aborrant to today's society.

[processing please hold]

Christians were not cowards - but how they fought (and should fight) was to willingly die through martyrdom WITHOUT ARMED RESISTANCE against authority. 'The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.'

In Christ' day, the enemy didn't have nukes.

[Longinus]

Seen '300' and own the comic books. This is a comic book movie - a subject I probably know better about than most posters on here seeing as I hold thousands of books like that in my collection. So I find it amusing we are talking about '300' as if it merits a history review - as if it has a proper history lesson to tell.

Discussing history over '300' would be like arguing about WW2 via Captain America comics.

[Psycho_Bunny]

and the battle it describes was cited by former Vice President Al Gore in his congressional testimony Wednesday as inspiration for Americans to fight global warming.

lol...I missed that he did that.  What a freakin' 6th grader.

[pblax8]

War happens for Christians as we are tought through the same bible that we are sinners and prone to warring. Nothing denies a nation the right of lawful self-defense.

Dont know how to Italicize but below is qoute from the Catholic Catechism;

"Insofar as men are sinners, the threat of war hangs over them and will so continue until Christ comes again; but insofar as they can vanquish sin by coming together in charity, violence itself will be vanquished and these words will be fulfilled: "they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more."

[Longinus]

In Christ's day they could achieve kill ratios on par with nukes - don't kid yourself. A proper Christian DIES to advance his faith he does not kill to advance it. Besides, America has never fought a war for Christianity - in Fact one of the cities we nuked in Japan was the only center of Christianity in Japan.

[processing please hold]

I see you just joined FR. You aren't one of those islamist sympathizers we have been warned about joining various web site to try and sway opinions on muslims and the war, are you?

[MeanWestTexan]

" dare you to name one Christian armed revolt against the Roman authorities."

Don't be making strawmen up. Who said anything about armed revolt against Roman authorities?

The Christian minority got into positions of authority in the Roman Empire and used the power of authority to force Christianity at the tip of a spear and the power of the state (such as by giving Christian priests tax-free status, just for example).

BUT one example of Christian armed revolt against the Roman authorities involved Julian. Julian moved to abolish privileges that had been bestowed upon the Christian clergy. This resulting (in part) in Shapur's uprising. So, in 363 (? 360ish), Julian had to lead a military campaign against Shapur II, pushing Shapur's forces back to his capital, Ctesiphon. (Interestingly Julian's died shortly thereafter of wounds suffered in the continued campaign against the Persians.)

[MeanWestTexan]

"This is a comic book movie - a subject I probably know better about than most posters on here seeing as I hold thousands of books like that in my collection."

OK, nevermind. LOL.

[Longinus]

A proper Christian DIES to advance his faith he does not kill to advance it.

Speaking of Catholics - the late Pope ruled that the Iraq war was not justified.

[Fiddlstix]

BTTT

[webstersII]

"Christians were not cowards - but how they fought (and should fight) was to willingly die through martyrdom WITHOUT ARMED RESISTANCE against authority."

Too bad the WWII generation didn't agree with you. Then we could all be speaking German and saluting the Fuhrer.

[subterfuge]

Jesus thinks otherwise.

Got any scripture to back that up?

Welcome to the forum.

[webstersII]

"Discussing history over '300' would be like arguing about WW2 via Captain America comics."

You missed the point. I just wanted to make sure you saw the movie before you offered your opinion of it.

[chesley]

This is true, but everything must be in context. When the context is that foreign enemies seek to destroy you, you need soldiers, not hippies.

[Longinus]

You aren't one of those islamist sympathizers we have been warned about joining various web site to try and sway opinions on muslims and the war, are you?

Hardly, since I view Islam as the religion of the antichrist. The 'abomination of desolation' spoken of in Revelations.

Where the hell did you get the notion that I am sympathetic to Islam?

Because while I enjoyed '300' very much I view it as poor history? And the Persians of that period were Zoroastrians not Muslims - the 3 Magi who brought Jesus gifts were Zoroastrian priests.

[subterfuge]

"Truly the Boomers are America's Worst Generation." I can think of no other group of people in history that were as self-absorbed or had a bigger sense of entitlement.

Yep. And guess who raised us up? That's right, the so-called "greatest generation." Can they be that great if they bore and raised the worst generation?