Among the various war situations experienced by the Greeks, the invasion of the Persians stands as one of the most significant and prominent military events. After all, it was the Persian offensive that determined the mobilization of several Greek cities in defense of their territory. If this union were not promoted and organized, the Persian military power could have dominated the Greek peoples and determined other destinations for this important civilization.
Of the many stories that mark the Greco-Persian wars, the Battle of Thermopylae, which took place in 480 BC. a., appears like one of the most important military events of this conflict. After all, according to contemporary accounts, the Spartan King Leonidas summoned three hundred of his best men to fight the onslaught of the numerous Persian army. Despite being defeated, the three hundred men of Leonidas ended up famous for their act of courage.
In 2007, this story ended up hitting movie screens in a film directed by acclaimed director Zack Snyder. At the time, inspired by the comics by Frank Miller – who also addressed the Battle of Thermopylae in one of his works – the filmmaker gave a dark and violent tone to the historical event. Supported by various special effects and other interesting features, it managed to please the public with a great spectacle of images and catchphrases.
At various points, we observe that the film's scriptwriter relies on historical characteristics of the Spartan people to structure his narrative. However, there are several other situations in which the famous poetic license comes into play to make the film more pleasing to the audience or to the director's own choices. But, after all, what would be the distortions that go unnoticed in this epic film that attracted the eyes of thousands of people around the world?
A first point that can be noticed is the exaggeration given to the harsh and precarious conditions that marked the military formation of the young Leonidas. Although training began at an early age and was rigorous, young Spartans were not cast to their lot in that deliberate way. In the case of Leônidas, on account of their wealthy social origin, this military formation was milder. After all, he had an importance in throne succession prior to his skill as a warrior.
In order to highlight the antagonisms of the story, we see that the director places the Spartan ephors as corrupt and degenerate beings. Far from being warped and perverted, the ephors were chosen by the Spartan citizens through election. Regarding the attack on the Greeks, several documents indicate that they supported the military action carried out by Leonidas and had nothing to do with the oracle – which actually only existed in the region of Delphi – which prophesied the defeat of the Greeks.
At a high point in history, we see that the strategy of resistance devised by the cunning King Leonidas was eventually dismantled by the betrayal of the deformed Ephialtes. In the film, his adherence to the Persian plans comes after King Leonidas' rejection of his request to join the Spartan army. In fact, he was no more than a simple resident who knew the region of Thermopylae and who offered information to the Persians in exchange for money.
Finally, we highlight the moment when Leonidas manages to wound the mighty Persian king Xerxes by throwing his spear from an unbelievable distance. There, many of the spectators are thrilled with the dexterity and courage of the Spartan statesman. However, no document speaks of this meeting and the vast and mighty Persian army is most likely protected his king to such an extent that he, the king, never appeared on the battlefield to meet the king of Sparta.
By Rainer Sousa
Master in History
Brazil School Team
Ancient Greece - wars - Brazil School
Source: Brazil School - https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/guerras/a-ficcao-filme-300.htm
