300 The Movie - A story that defines what Epic Fantasy is all about
January 15th, 2007I have been seeing trailers for the new movie 300 and I am very much looking forward to it! If you haven’t heard about the movie or the story it is based on let me give you a bit of a background on it. It is based on a true story unlike any other story. This is a story of how 300 men (Spartans) sacrificed their lives, changed the world forever, and had an impact on the world we live in today. Does it get any better than that? Isn’t that what epic fantasy is all about?
Here is the story: In 480 BC the King of Persia gathered a force of supposedly 2 million soldier (2 million is what Herodotus says) and he made a move to conquer Greece. The Greeks were not ready for this and they dispatched a force of 300 Spartans to the pass of Thermopylae in an attempt to buy time. Thermopylae is a very narrow pass between the mountains and the sea so this was a good place to make a desperate stand. The 300 Spartans held that pass for seven days, and every one of them died in the process. Here is a quote from Herodotus “Three hundred Spartans and their allies held off the invaders for seven days, until, their weapons smashed and broken from the slaughter, they fought “with bare hands and teeth” before being at last overwhelmed.”
Does it get any more epic than that? Now here is the thing about this story that is really appealing. At the time, in Greece, Democracy was just an idea in its infancy and if the Persians would have conquered Greece it would have been an idea lost in the past. We would probably have no democracy today! Imagine how we can feel the impact of their courage and heroism to this day!
I don’t know if the movie is going to be great, but the story is! And the movie gives credit to being adapted from the Graphic novel written by Frank Miller. And I am not familiar with that novel but I have read, and do absolutely love another book written on this story. It is called Gates of Fire by Steven Pressfield. 
If you are a fan of epic fantasy, heroism and that kind of stuff this book has got to go to the top of your list. If you read one book this year make it this one! I can’t recommend it highly enough. I read it when it first came out and have since re-read it. You won’t be disappointed. It is a great story and a great story telling. The book also has some nice maps so you can visualize the battlescene. Gates of Fire: An Epic Novel of the Battle of Thermopylae
As a note: This whole Spartan Warrior thing is just way too fascinating and I am putting together some nice website stuff about spartans, their weapons, warriors and techniques. SO check back again and I will post to you when I have stuff ready for viewing.
Resources: Gates of Fire: An Epic Novel of the Battle of Thermopylae
Quote from the Movie:
Persian: “Our arrows will blot out the sun.” Spartan: “Then we shall fight in the shade.”
Popularity: 8% [?]
