[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sj810hUDVUQ"]YouTube- Last Stand of the 300 part 1/3[/ame] [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRpOzFSTw_8&feature=related"]YouTube- Last Stand of the 300 part 2/3[/ame] The naval battle portion is often overlooked. [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCUOBnD-SR0&feature=related"]YouTube- Last Stand of the 300 part 3/3[/ame]
On the first..true, one were more or less slaves, the other volutarily. On the second..that is known as "combined arms", the Persians had a huge naval element to their invasion of the Greek City States, a serious effort A) after Darius lost at Marathon B) the Greeks supported a rebellion in Turkey a Persian Province. However, on the last day, only the Spartans and one ally were still defending the "gates of fire".
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Thermopylae Though the number 300 is misleading the fact remains that a very small group of men fought a rear guard action that is still a measuring stick of courage and an inspiration to all in times of war.
i am currently reading Steven Pressfields "Gates of Fire," which is a novelized historical account on Thermopolae. he seems to be sticking to historical accuracy as best he can while improvising characters and dialogue. it is a compelling read, even though i already know the story backward and forward. several subtexts and character development, and they only add to the story by fleshing out the existence of battle squires, helot slaves who were conquered in previous wars, and Spartan culture, and why they were the way they were. really gives you a "first person" feel for what Hellenic phalanx warfare was like. i would love to have witnessed it in action. but not participated! not that i didn't enjoy the recent movie "300," but in the book there is none of this chopping-up ten thousand of Xerxes Immortals while barely breaking a sweat stuff... and yet the Greeks and their actions seem even more heroic in my eyes. had the Greeks simply capitulated, forgone war and not resisted the Persian invasion, in the interest of self preservation, our world today would likely be VERY different. the early seeds of democracy were just being planted then.
