Posted on 03/12/2007 2:54:43 PM PDT by freedom44
1) Xerxes had an army of 100,000. Who knows how many got to the "front" at Thermopolae? Certainly neither Greek nor Persian historians would have been able to tell.
2) The Greeks won. The time bought at Thermopolae allowed all the city-states to rally and defeat the Persians at Platea.
3) In two consecutive wars over 10 years, the Greeks killed approximately 100,000 Persians without modern weapons. Alexander finished the job a few years later. It is absolutely true, also, that had Greece failed, much of what we now know as "civilization" would have disappeared.
Actually there was about 5 to 7 thousand Greek troops from various cities (Thespia, Thebes, Phocia, etc)defending the pass.Plus a Greek fleet consisting mostly of Athenians were guarding the land forces sea flank (defeated the Persian fleet at a place called Artemesia). All Greek foot soldiers were known as Hoplites.
Sparta sent between 1000 and 1500 men. The famous "300" were Spartiates (sp?). They were the famous warrior class that is much written about. They were the ruling class of Sparta, trained as a warrior from childhood. The other classes of Spartan society were the freemen, and the Helots. The Helots were basically serfs but, were armed in time of war. The Spartans actually had a memorial to the Helots who fought at Thermopylae for a time however, after a Helot revolt which was put down savagely by the Spartans, the Spartans went to Thermoplyae and tore down the memorial.
As for the Persians, only the Iranian elite troops were called the immmortals. They were the palace guard something like Napoleon's imperial guard and Hitler's waffen SS.
Also, there is no proof of a traitor who sold "the secret of Themoplyae" to the Persians. This may well have just been made up as the legend of the battle grew. The Persians were from a mountainous country and finding the other pass to flank the Greek force at Thermoplae wouldn't have been too hard for them. The story may have been made up just to make the Persians seem not to be smart enough to find the other pass without help.
Leonidus did order the rest of the Greek force out of the pass when he found out the Persians had turned his flank and the Spartans made their famous last stand, remaining true to their vow that a Spartan returned home either with his shield or on it.
I wish someone would make a film depicting the battle as it happened. Truth is always better than fiction.
Well... all this took place about 1000 years before the rise of Islam, and the Persian empire was not a religiously monotonous region. It had pretty much everything from the regions it touched, including Judaism.
I don't go to movies to get educated.
4 thousand here from Pelop's land
Against 3 million once did stand
The Spartans have a special epitaph; it runs
Go tell the Spartans you who read:
We took their orders and are dead.
"Despite losing Athens, the Greeks eventually prevailed at the Battle of Salamis."
An excellent point.
The battle of Thermopylae emboldened the greek armies for the subsequent march to persia and the spread of their democratic culture.
The Spartans and their Greek Allies who gave their lives in this suicide mission delayed the advance of the Persian armies. This allowed the armada of Themistocles to evacuate the city of athens before the Persians burned it to the ground.
And Oh By The Way...
The iranian mullahs are NOT HAPPY about how they were portrayed:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1799652/posts
And that makes me... very happy.
I do so look forward to seeing the movie, I've heard that it is a blockbuster.
Having seen elite forces up close I do know what they look like, but I've never seen a Spartan, knowing only about them from historians and historical books.
And I do know that Hollywood nearly always tells a good yarn. Historically speaking that is.
Whoops, didn't mean to pile it on. That'll learn me from starting a post, walk away for a couple things, and then click 'Post' ;).
I don't know those two gentlemen are they warrior impersonators too?
True.
But what chance of survival would've the Spartan society had if the Persians had won? Zero.
Sort of like the French now days. They consider us fools and bragards, yet the French would all be speaking German if it were not for our sacrifices for them. They have the freedom to call us ignorant, because brave Americans died to give them that privilege.
Do I like the French? No, they are a pain in the ass. They suck. But if they called for our help because of invasion or natrual calamity, I would be there to help.
Maybe curious about more than history. I haven't seen the movie, but according to our paper, at least one of the scenes was described by the reviewer as "soft porno". Discuss among yourselves.
"Molson Labatt!"
Well .. I haven't seen the movie either .. but one person's perception is not the same for others.
If parents feel this is too adult for their high schoolers, then by all means, they should keep them from seeing it.
Thank you so much .. I have marked my calendar.
Sooooo .. nobody believes that Greece would have been Muslim if the Persians had taken over the whole country ..??
I never sausage a bad pun before.
There was no nation called Greece in 480 BC, there were only loosly affiliated city-states all of which in another fifty years would be at each other's throats.
And there were no Muslims involved. The Persians were Zoroastrians.
Of course .. but after the Persians attacked Athens .. it galvanized the "loosely affiliated city-states" into a force which destroyed the Persians.
And .. I still say .. if the Persians had not been destroyed .. Greece would not have emerged as a nation and the Muslims would have had an open door when the remaining Greek army was destroyed.
Geeeeeeze .. you people are so sanctimonious .. you can't see beyond the end of your nose.
Alexander marched into Persia 150 years later and he certainly did not bring democracy with him nor in his wake.
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