The Spartans were the fiercest warriors of there time. Compared to their counterpart the Athenians who valued the arts, the Spartans placed their value on the military strength of their nation. The film 300 depicts the event from the Battle of Thermopylae, by doing so the film is able to capture the Spartans value of honor and brotherhood. The film setting takes place during 480 B.C.E, the year the Persian King Xerxes invades Greece. Upon hearing of Xerxes plans King Leonidas of Sparta and 300 of his warrior set out to defend the mountain pass of Thermopylae and stop the Persian advances. At first, the Spartans were successful at defeating the Persian army due to their use of the hoplite phalanx. However, when the secrets of Sparta’s success …show more content…
Before going off to war, King Leonidas teaches his son an important lesson “a spartan’s true strength is the warrior next to him… give honor and respect to him and it will be returned to you.” Honor is what made a true Spartan, even before birth is was expected that when “both parents were rendered strong a stronger offspring would be born from them” a strong baby had the ability to become a stronger warrior, who either died an honorable death or lived an honorable life. Brotherhood is also an important value shown during the battle, the movie depicts the Spartan warrior in minimal clothes to emphasize the importance of their shield and spears. Unlike the Acadians army whose professions as “potters, sculptors and blacksmiths” came before being a warrior, the Spartans knew only of fighting and training. By the age of eighteen Spartans who “survived training would try for a membership in a brotherhood who sworn comrades lived and fought together.” The sense of brotherhood is also shown by how united they were in battle and how willing they were to die for one another.
The story of the 300 warrior will never be forgotten from history, even if is retold as a literature or a movie.The loyalty displayed by these men for their state makes their death honorable. The belief that a spartan is immortal even though he is dead is depicted in the story of these 300