preguntas frecuentes for
300 (2006)

The battle at Thermopylae was a delaying action, meaning it held up Xerxes's Persian army long enough to allow the Greeks on the homefront to prepare a stronger defense. Despite the weeklong hold up, Xerxes still marched into Greece and laid waste to Athens. However, the time bought by the Spartans, Thespians, and their allies at Thermopylae made possible the later Greek victory at Plataea (shown at the end of the film) and the decisive sea battle of Salamis.

The sacrifice of the 300 Spartans inspired other Greeks because it was believed that these soldiers gave their lives to defend Greece as a nation, disdaining narrowly Spartan interests. When offered the crown of Greece by a Persian messenger, Leonidas answered, "If you knew what is good in life, you would abstain from wishing for foreign things. For me it is better to die for Greece than to be monarch over my compatriots." The battle is often described as the birth of Greek nationalism, and thus of nationalism generally.

So: Thermopylae bought time for the Greeks and allowed the battles of Plataea and Salamis to take place, Plataea signalling the ultimate defeat of Xerxes's army, and Salamis destroying the Persian navy. After these two resounding defeats, Xerxes abandoned his army and went home, leaving his troops to be slaughtered on a long retreat to the Bosporus, where they had first crossed from Asia Minor to Europe.

There are many historical books on Thermopylae. The source for much of what we know about the battle and its aftermath is The Histories, by Greek historian Herodotus. One of the best modern books is Thermopylae: The Battle for the West, by Ernle Bradford. Paul Cartledge has also written a book on Spartan culture called The Spartans: The World of the Warrior Heroes of Ancient Greece. The battle is the main subject of the novel Gates of Fire, by Steven Pressfield, which is mostly accurate but does take some poetic license (Michael Mann has long been keen to adapt this novel into a film). Military historian Barry Strauss's book The Battle of Salamis is a good, quick history of the decisive naval battle, and Victor Davis Hanson discusses the cultural and historical significance of Salamis and the entire defeat of Xerxes in his book Carnage and Culture.

According to ancient historian Herodotus, there were 5 million Persians at Thermopylæ (referenced in the movie as "the Hot Gates"), the main battle depicted in 300. Modern estimates run from 150,000 to 2 million. Britannica puts the number at 360,000. At the beginning of the battle, there were 7,100 Greeks soldiers from various states commanded by Spartan King Leonidas. When the Persians outflanked the Greeks on the third day of fighting, Leonidas ordered his 300 Spartans as well as 400 Thebans to cover a withdrawal by the rest of the Greeks. Leonidas hoped to, "secure the whole glory for the Spartans," wrote Herodotus, providing an Athenian view. There were also 700 Thespian hoplites who refused the order to retreat. According to Herodotus, the Thebans eventually surrendered and were branded by the Persians, (pro-Theban historian Plutarch wrote an angry response entitled "The Malice of Herodotus"). The Spartans and the Thespians fought to the death. {See: 'Master Thespians: Don't Prepare for Glory' by James S. Robbins and Herodotus' twenty-second logos: Thermopylae for more information}

A short History Channel documentary entitled 'Decisive Battles: The Battle of Thermopylae' places the number of Persians at 250,000. The documentary can be viewed here.

Spartan policy was not set by the kings, but by the Ephors, five men who formed an executive council that was elected annually. (In ''300'', the Ephors are lecherous mystics who live on a mountaintop.) According to Herodotus, the Ephors concluded that Sparta could afford to wait until after the city celebrated the Carneian Festival. Xerxes had been delaying his invasion for months, so the Greeks did not realize that the main Persian thrust was imminent. Advised of the festival by exiled Spartan King Demaratus, Xerxes planned his attack so as to take advantage of it. Other Greek states withheld troops because they were celebrating the Olympics. This left the defense of Thermopylæ seriously undermanned. {See Battle of Thermopylae for more information}

Sparta traditionally restricted its military activity to the Peloponnesus (southern Greece), so it's possible that the Ephors favored a defense centered on the Isthmus of Corinth and were reluctant to send troops to the rescue of Thebes and Athens. This theory is part of the storyline of The 300 Spartans (1962), the movie that inspired Frank Miller to write the graphical novel on which ''300'' is based.

No. The graphic novel and film fit the tradition of Greco-Roman art's "heroic nudity," in which armor is not depicted in order to show the beauty of the human body. In fact, it was the Spartans' heavy armor and perfect phalanx that helped give them such staying power versus the lightly armored Persians. A depiction of a Greek hoplite (infantryman) killing a Persian soldier by the Greek painter Triptolemos can be found here. Spartan and other Greek troops wore a breastplate, a bronze helmet with cheekplates, greaves, and a bronze-plated shield approximately 3 feet in diameter, called a hoplon (from which the word "hoplite" derives). The armor weighed a total of about 60 pounds (27 kilograms). Their primary weapon was a spear around 2.7 meters in length called a dory. Since this tended to break in battle, they also carried a 60 cm thrusting sword called a xiphos. Less commonly used was the Greek sabre called a kopis.

No. Frank Miller invented this aspect of the story. In reality, Leonidas was second-in-line to the throne by hereditary right. His elder brother however, who was the rightful king, committed suicide before becoming king, and Leonidas was simply next in line. Bettany Hughes and Frank Miller discuss this issue in the documentary The 300: Fact or Fiction?, found on the 2-Disc Special Edition DVD.

There was relatively little freedom in Sparta. Their society was rigid, strict and there was no tolerance for anyone who disagreed with the Military State. Males were required to serve in the military for life, women required to birth the future warriors. Men and women were educated only in the narrowest of subjects, as they pertained to war and battle. Their belief was that an educated woman would produce a cunning and smart warrior. Male children were separated from their parents at seven-years-old, and began their Agoge (a program where the child was indoctrinated in devotion to the State and military training). This was required of all male children, except for the sons of the Kings, since they were considered gods.

Sparta, as a society, did not produce literature, art, architecture or other advancements that we associate with great civilizations of the ancient world. The Athenians, the Egyptians, the Etruscans and the Persians possessed a far more advanced culture and civilization with more freedom and liberty for their citizens. Even the other Greek city-states viewed the Spartans as backward and primitive. The Spartans seldom wrote anything down. There is scant written documentation from their society.

The Helots, descendants of an earlier conquered race of inhabitants of the region of Laconia, where Sparta was located, were enslaved and forced to labor on large estates. When Spartan warriors were in shortage, Helots were forced into the military. They were slaves-for-life, never able to buy their freedom or earning it as a soldier. They were severely mistreated, beaten, tortured and the women sometimes raped(the offspring of these rapes, if they were male, were taken from the mother and raised to be soldiers). When a unit of Helots fought bravely in a battle, they were given honors and accolades...then killed later that night. The Spartans feared these slaves, who far outnumbered their masters, would rise up against them. After years of abuse and oppression, the Helots revolted against the Spartans when a earthquake devastated the region. {See here for more information.}

In spite of all this, Sparta and the other Greek city-states were still more "free" than any state under Persian domination. Classicist and military historian Victor Davis Hanson, who previewed the film and wrote a foreward for a movie tie-in book, says in his article "300: Fact or Fiction," that the film still "mostly conveys the message of Thermopylae."

"True, 2,500 years ago, almost every society in the ancient Mediterranean world had slaves. And all relegated women to a relatively inferior position. Sparta turned the entire region of Messenia into a dependent serf state." But he goes on to say that, "in the Greek polis alone, there were elected governments, ranging from the constitutional oligarchy at Sparta to much broader-based voting in states like Athens and Thespiae.

"Most importantly, only in Greece was there a constant tradition of unfettered expression and self-criticism," unlike the Persian Empire, where speaking against official policy of the emperor--a living god--was blasphemy." Aristophanes, Sophocles and Plato questioned the subordinate position of women. Alcidamas lamented the notion of slavery.

"Such openness was found nowhere else in the ancient Mediterranean world. That freedom of expression explains why we rightly consider the ancient Greeks as the founders of our present Western civilization."

(Read the full '300: Fact or Fiction' article here.)

Sparta eventually overextended itself by occupying both Athens and Thebes and attempting to impose aristocratic government on all of Greece. The Thebans revolted and defeated the Spartans at Leuctra in 371 BC. Despite having fewer soldiers overall, Theban commander Epaminondas was able to plow through the Spartan right wing by making his left wing 50 ranks deeps. The Spartan phalanx was 12 ranks deep, which was standard for a Greek army up to that point. Sparta's notoriously degraded slaves, called helots, revolted and the Thebans recreated the state of Messenia for them. The Thebans also built a city called Megalopolis so that the Arcadians (who provide the cowardly Greek militia in ''300'') could assert their independence. Hemed in by these two states, Sparta's role in Greek politics was greatly reduced.

Sparta was incorporated into the Macedonian Empire after the battle of Chaeronea (338 BC). The Romans conquered Sparta in 146 BC. The city was pillaged by the Visigoths under Alaric in AD 396 and by the Slavs in the 9th century. {See History of Ancient Sparta for more information} Modern Sparta has a population of about 15,000.

I can not give an adequate answer, only speculate. The Ephors were actually the most important people politically in Spartan society and were an oligarchic body of councellors. The film wanted to praise military valour, therefore it had to slander the Ephors, who were a political authority, in order to lionize the king, who was primarily a leader of the Spartan people during wartime. This treatment of politicians applies to others in the movie, most obviously Theron (who rapes Queen Gorgo, as well as selling out to the Persians).

Yes.It was to show Xerxes that he was not an immortal god but a regular man.

Edit: This is a widely debated question. If one looks at the comic it is clear that Leonidas hadn't intended to miss Xerxes. It is also easy to assume that since this is fundamentally just a straight translation of the graphic novel then Leonidas did not miss Xerxes on purpose. Also, if Leonidas had intended to prove that Xerxes was not a god, why not just kill him? That'd most certainly prove Xerxes was a man.

Edit/Counter Argument: It would cause more damage in the Persian ranks if he had only wounded Xerxes. If he had killed Xerxes then the next king could easily claim that Xerxes was a false god because he had died. Instead though, by merely wounding Xerxes the Persian leadership is weakened. On top of that they have a leader who is scarred and now can no longer deny his own mortality. When someone is dead then they are merely dead. When they are wounded they must deal with the physiological ramifications behind that, especially if they thought, at one point, they were immortal.

According to Passages from Herodotus' Histories (based on the English translation by George Rawlinson - 1858-60) each city had one and they were used for punishment, not just for emissaries, but for anyone who committed a crime. It states that in Athens they used the Pit of Punishment, and in Sparta they had a huge well. {See The Road to Thermopylae and History of Sparta for more information}.

The visuals in ''300'' are invented -- the real Xerxes had a beard and never went near the front line. Persia, with a population of about 20 million, was the largest empire in history at the time the movie is set. Cyrus the Great, grandfather of Xerxes and founder of the empire, was described as a liberator and an ideal ruler in the Bible and by Greek historian Xenophon. According to the Book of Isaiah, Cyrus was "anointed by God". The Persian Empire extended as far west as Egypt, north into southern Russia and east to modern-day Afghanistan (aside from Egypt, it did not include Africa, so the depiction of African Persians was inaccurate).

Greeks feared the Persians because of their great military and political accomplishments -- accomplishments made in a relatively short time. As a result, they commanded tremendous wealth in the form of tribute. Their success in managing their empire also shook Greek confidence in the superority of their own culture. Many Greek states gave Persia the "earth and water" tribute demanded and some fought on the Persian side. Deposed Spartan King Demaratus was in the Persian camp at the time of Thermopylæ, and it was he who advised Xerxes of the Carneian Festival, and recommended that the Persians attack during the celebrations.

Xerxes claimed to be divine and ruled in a more authoritarian manner than previous Persian kings. He reduced Egypt from an autonomous kingdom to a simple province.

The Immortals, Xerxes' elite soldiers, were lightly armored compared to the Greeks and carried wicker shields. The name refers to the custom of maintaining exactly 10,000 soldiers in the unit at all times. If an Immortal died in combat, another soldier would be inducted immediately to replace him. {See Cyrus the Great for more information}

According to the audio commentary, the words are entirely ad-libbed gibberish, and the director stated he was quite pleased when actress Kelly Craig worked "Carneia" into her lines. In the PSP game 300: March to Glory, David Wenham narrates, as he does for this film, and he clearly states that all the Ephors had to do to betray Sparta was slightly twist the Oracle's words.

"Tuck tail!" i.e: take cover.

Yes, although he was simply a normal looking greek. He betrayed the greek forces in exchange for money. He was made to look disfigured to imply his that he is a weak and fragile character. See the Wikipedia article Ephialtes of Trachis for more information.

Yes, the pitch of Santoro's voice was lowered in editing to better fit the character. Director Zack Snyder stated in an interview, "because we scaled him as we did, when his normal voice played, it was even stranger to me. He was out of scale of his voice, not that it wasn't commanding. Rodrigo is about 6' 2''. In some ways it was foreign to him because now we've taken him and turned him into a nine-foot-tall guy and his voice is not the voice of a nine-foot-tall guy. It was weird. So we just pitched him down and that's why we did it."

Yes. Director Zack Snyder] wanted to depict a Spartan army that was lean and cruel, rippled with muscle built from the hardships of living in Sparta. He wanted his actors to train like those warriors would have trained, with the trust in each other that would show onscreen. So he called up Gym Jones. Gym Jones is not a cozy place. There's no AC, no comfortable spot to sit and no mirrors. Stressors are intentionally designed to cause discomfort and apprehension. Effort and pain may not be avoided. Physical and psychological breakdowns occur. The support of a like-minded group, dedicated to The Art of Suffering, provides a safety net. An individual will push harder and risk more in the company of trustworthy peers and thats one reason the gym is not open to the public. Gym Jones is a private, invitation-only facility located in Utah.

Yes:

The DVD, HD DVD and Blu-Ray versions of the movie include exclusive bonus material ranging from interviews to backstory to in-depth features. The four main featurettes on the DVD are The 300: Fact or Fiction?, Who Were the Spartans?, Frank Miller Tapes and The Making of '300'. There is also a collection of webisodes.

The HD DVD version includes an exclusive Picture in Picture feature, which is a "blue screen" version of the film, showing the footage exactly how it was originally filmed.

Also, websites such as IGN.com and YourGeekNews.com have in-depth features, with scenes and interviews with Gerard Butler and Frank Miller. Five video journals and plenty of production information can also be found at the film's official site 300ondvd.com.