Originally posted by Alliance
On a side point...as far as "mutations"...Frank Miller, maybe you've seen Sin City...presents characters who are morally corrupt as physically corrupt.
I'm not sure whether or not you're bashing the Persians here or not. I don't think that you are. I think that what you're trying to say is that the movie, just like the cartoon book, is looking at the Persians through the Spartan point of view, and that is why the Persians look like that. Am I right?
I'm not bashing Persians. I think the Persians are one of the most interesting cultures in history.
I'm saying, from Herotodus'/the Greek perspective, which Miller was writing from, the Persians were morally corrupt. Therefore, Miller interprets the Greek interpretation into physical corruption, similar to the guys that run the oracle.
The movie is clearly taking the Spartans point of view, and the story is based entirely on Greek history.
It would be fascinating to hear the Persian side of the battle, and the War actually. However, we don't have those sources and even if we did, Miller has the artistic licence to choose any side he wants to.
Its easy to read xenophobia into the movie...because its there. The issue is that its the GREEKS xenophobia and the interpretation that is made clear in the historical sources. Miller stylistically presents the the Persians as the Spartan's see them.
Originally posted by Alliance
I'm not bashing Persians. I think the Persians are one of the most interesting cultures in history.I'm saying, from Herotodus'/the Greek perspective, which Miller was writing from, the Persians were morally corrupt. Therefore, Miller interprets the Greek interpretation into physical corruption, similar to the guys that run the oracle.
The movie is clearly taking the Spartans point of view, and the story is based entirely on Greek history.
It would be fascinating to hear the Persian side of the battle, and the War actually. However, we don't have those sources and even if we did, Miller has the artistic licence to choose any side he wants to.
Its easy to read xenophobia into the movie...because its there. The issue is that its the GREEKS xenophobia and the interpretation that is made clear in the historical sources. Miller stylistically presents the the Persians as the Spartan's see them.
Not only do they have an interesting culture, but they also have fine rugs. 🙂
Okay, so I was right in what I thought you were saying. 😄 So proud of myself.
Originally posted by lil bitchiness
I don't believe it was the GREATEST or most interesting battle ever, however it is legendary.I do have a huge contempt for the way Persians were potrayed in the movie. Of course 300 was not a historic movie (just like Troy had very little to do with Homer's Illiad), it non the less bothers me somewhat, because ti implies that Xerxes was attempting to enslave Greece under Persian tyranny.
The war was initially sparked by what was viewed by the Persians as an unprovoked attack against the empire, perpetrated by the Athenians.
Its interesting, but the interests are overinflated due to the movie.
Has anyone seen the animation Samurai Jack and the battle of Thermopylae?
Good points.
Originally posted by Penelope
What was Xerxes true intention? Was it to completely Conquer Greece? Or was it to just simply Punish the Greeks by sacking Athens?
As I said, I don't think we have sources that say this.
The Persian army was certianly wandering around a lot to try to directly attack Athens. The Athenian fleet did engage the Persian fleet at Salamis. Remeber, both Athens and Eretria helped the Ionian Greeks revolt against the Persian conquerers. So you would imagine they would have gone for both cities. Neither city was directly attacked.
Originally posted by Alliance
As I said, I don't think we have sources that say this.The Persian army was certianly wandering around a lot to try to directly attack Athens. The Athenian fleet did engage the Persian fleet at Salamis. Remeber, both Athens and Eretria helped the Ionian Greeks revolt against the Persian conquerers. So you would imagine they would have gone for both cities. Neither city was directly attacked.
Thats true, i thought that myself. But then i also remembered that the city of Athens itself, as well as many other major Greek cities, were built in strategic locations, the Persians thinking this, may have felt the need to find a different "tactic".
Re: Thermopylae - anyone else fascinated by this story?
Originally posted by KharmaDog
Never has a battle been such the defining characteristic of a people (the Spartans).Does this battle interest anyone else, and if so why?
Its a battle I wouldve loved to see. I wanna see it for the fact that literally sounds like something from fantasy/legend: 7,100 Greeks held back 250,000 Persians for 3 days. And 20,000 Persian troops were slaughtered in only 3 days time! Now thats just a level of carnage I just cant picture.
I was watching a documentary on the Battle of Thermopylae a little while ago, and the narrator said that by the second day, the ground infront of the Greek line had been turned into a muddy slush from all the spilled blood. That is a lot of blood!
Originally posted by KharmaDog
You are 19 years old and already served in the military and are now going to college? That pretty good. I have never heard of someone completing their tour of duty and then getting into university within one year.Generally you don't study specific history your first year of university either, mostly just survey courses.
I have studied much history myself, particularly anciant greek and ancient roman. I find that anyone who has also studied these subjects knows enough that they would never want to be a roman legionary or greek hoplite. It isn't a matter of cowardice, but simply a matter of common sense.
In all actuality, being a Roman Legionary is better than anything for 1500 years before and after.
Originally posted by RocasAtoll
In all actuality, being a Roman Legionary is better than anything for 1500 years before and after.
Maybe but you still wouldn't want to be one... But you are right it's probably better then fighting during the start of the gunpowder age or in less organized army's... Still it would suck compared to how you can fight now.
No one will Ever be able to truely "imagine" how intense the fighting was, nor the scene itself. With the dead bodys laying all over the place, you had to fight while balancing on top of carcasses, people screaming, so much blood that you could easily slip, and fall, pouring off of the cliff. A scene from Hell.
without the battle at salamis (a miracle victory in itself) thermopylae wouldn't have meant anything. 😬 that's one area i wish would have been expounded on in the movie.
as for leonidas -- he has become heavily romanticized during the course of history. do some research on him and you'll find WIDELY dissenting opinions on both his ability as a king AND as a warrior. regardless, i find him a fascinating character, and there can be no doubt that the stand they made (though it is often believed that there were JUST 300 spartans . . . ) was a great one and something worth remembering.