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The film, 300, which was based on a graphic novel written by Miller and Lynn tells the story of the legendary King Leonidas of Sparta and how his 300 men courageously defended the pass of Thermopylae from the invading Persian army (Miller & Lynn). The film, however, was highly sensationalized. Miller, himself, admitted that ‘300’ was deliberately made exaggerated and historically inaccurate in some of its scenes for the purpose of making it more interesting and exciting. One of the many historical inaccuracies of the film 300 was the depiction of Sparta’s rite of passage. In the film, the boy Leonidas was left in the woods to kill a wolf to prove himself worthy of being a Spartan warrior. In real Spartan culture, historians believe that clandestinely killing a helot or a male slave is the traditional way of a Spartan’s transition into an ideal Spartan soldier.
Another inaccurate depiction of the film was the portrayal of the image of the Spartans and the Persians. King Leonidas and his soldiers, for instance, were portrayed as fighting without any body armor. However, history suggests that bronze and steel were already extensively used for military purposes during the time of Leonidas and that ancient Greek soldiers in battle, relied heavily on their steel body armor for protection. According to scholars, “a full set of Greek armor usually included armor for the chest, arms, legs, and head,” which are usually made from hard leather or metal (Bricault & Garg). The Persian king, Xerxes, on the other hand, is not like the bald giant barbarian king portrayed in the film. Based on historical artifacts, ancient Persians were among the most highly educated and culturally sophisticated people of the ancient times. The ruins of a Persian Persepolis in Iran suggest that the Persians were life-loving people who love poetry, songs and wine (Del Giudice). According to one observer, “Mainly you see emblems suggesting that something humane went on here instead—people of different nations gathering peacefully, bearing gifts, draping their hands amiably on one another's shoulders”. Most likely, King Xerxes has a regal personality consistent with the highly educated and culturally sophisticated people of his empire and is not like the barbarian king that was portrayed in the film.
The battle between King Leonidas with his 300 Spartan soldiers and Xerxes’ consolidated armies was one of the major highlights of the film. But despite the awesome depiction of the battle and its fantastical elements, historical evidences prove otherwise. The film featured mounted warriors in elephants and even featured a war rhino (Miller & Lynn). It is true that the Persian army is composed different soldiers that came from different portions its vast empire. These different groups of soldiers have different fighting styles. However, it is unlikely that these soldiers will use elephants and even impossible to take a rhino in battle. It is likely though that the Persians used cavalry during the battle of Thermopylae. According to the Greek historian, Herodotus, ancient civilizations that became part of the Persian Empire supplied the Persian army’s cavalry, which is composed of horse and horse-drawn chariot (Barkworth 153). There were soldiers mounted on camels as supplied by the Arabians, but it could not be possible to bring any rhinos or elephants to battle (Barkworth 153; History vs Hollywood).
As far as historical facts are concerned, there were several inconsistencies and deliberate twisting of historical plots in the depiction of the battle of Thermopylae between the Greeks and the Persian army in the film ‘300.’ It should be noted though that the movie should not be taken for a historical documentary. It is a historical fantasy to be exact. Miller, himself, admitted that he took a lot of liberties for the purpose of creating a story that has historical plots not for the purpose of making a documentary, but for the sake of entertainment. In this context, the movie, 300 has served its purpose quite well.
Works Cited
300. By F., & Varley, L. Miller. Dir. Z. Snyder. 2006.
Barkworth, P. The Organization of Xerxes' Army. 1993. June 2016 <http://www.azargoshnasp.net/300/xerxesorganizationarmy.pdf>.
Bricault, N., & Garg, A. The History of Armor: Protection, Mobility, and Fashion. n.d. June 2016 <http://scientiareview.org/pdfs/69.pdf>.
Del Giudice, M. Persia: Ancient Soul of Iran. 2008. June 2016 <http://dale.cmswiki.wikispaces.net/file/view/Persia+Ancient+Soul+of+Iran.pdf>.
History vs Hollywood. 300 (2007). n.d. June 2016 <http://www.historyvshollywood.com/reelfaces/300spartans.php>.
The True History About 300 The Movie. 2007. June 2016 <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VauW6Mh2_yg>.
