'The Warriors of Thermopylae' Living History Group filmed by the media - For inquiries relative to our presentations and demonstrations at a school near you, please click this image - Image courtesy of Kathy
"The
most valiant are sometimes the most unfortunate. Thus there are
triumphant defeats that rival victories. Nor did those four sister
victories, the fairest that the sun ever set eyes on - Salamis,
Plataea, Mycale, and Sicily - ever dare match all their combined glory
against the glory of the annihilation of King Leonidas and his men at
the pass of Thermopylae." - Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592)
'Leonidas at Thermopylae' by Jacques-Louis David (1814)
(GO TELL THE SPARTANS PASSERBY, THAT HERE OBEDIENT TO THEIR LAWS WE LIE)
Composed by the poet Simonides, this epitaph, written in Greek and its English translation directly beneath it, paid tribute to the bravery and self-sacrifice of King Leonidas and the 300 Spartans at Thermopylae
This website is dedicated to King Leonidas and the 300 Spartans, who along with 700 Thespians fought to the death during the Battle of Thermopylae (Hot Gates) in August, 480 B.C. The Spartan and Thespian last stand has been immortalized in the works of Herodotus and glorified in the 1962 20th Century Fox movie 'The 300 Spartans' co-starring Richard Egan, Sir Ralph Richardson and Diane Baker. In addition, there have many other homages consisting of artwork, books, statues, etc., most notably, Jacques-Louis David's masterpiece entitled 'Leonidas at Thermopylae'.
1962's 'The 300 Spartans' (c) 20th Century Fox
The description of the heroism displayed approximately 2,500 years ago which resonates to this day, was the focus of Steven Pressfield's 1998 tour de force, 'Gates of Fire'.
Unquestionably one of the finest books about the legendary three day
defense of the Pass of Thermopylae, it has received many accolades
worldwide and whose interest as a movie project still continues
unabated. Its status as a classic was elevated even more so, when it
became required reading in college and university programs around the
world.
In 2007, the debut of Warner Bros'. '300' garnered much attention as a new audience, many of whom previously unfamiliar with one of ancient history's iconic battles, were introduced to this most recent adaptation. However, controversy ensued, as the movie which was based
on a series of comic books written and illustrated by Frank Miller, was criticized by academics, scholars and several international communities due to its revisionism. In addition, the accessibility of the '300' DVD had now allowed many of the
under-17 age group that didn't gain admittance due to its restrictive
'R' rating, the opportunity to finally view the movie.
Rare and discontinued memorabilia, which includes the 1998 signed Frank Miller lithograph, limited to only '300' copies - Image (c) Warner Bros.
Of paramount importance has been the concern rendered by elementary and high
school teachers, who feel that the aforementioned age group may not be able to distinguish fact from fiction.While those affiliated
with '300' have gone on record as saying that the movie is not
historically accurate, how is a student who has not read the classics at
this impressionable age able to ascertain what scenes are factual and what aren't?
Since there were many embellishments throughout which have been addressed in
these pages, it is precisely for this reason that it is important to include images from the ancient ceremonial capital of Persepolis
as it provides a glimpse of how the Persian warriors and royalty
appeared during those times. Therefore, these pages will include student resources, and classroom demonstrations by the reenactment group 'The Warriors of Thermopylae'.
An interactive learning environment is now available for schools
interested in learning more about the Battle of Thermopylae, Sparta,
its allies and Persia.
An overview
of the battle throughout this website will include armor worn by the
warriors, illustrations, images of the battlefield, maps, the number of
combatants which comprised the Greek and Persian armies and much more. Images from the ancient city of Persepolis,
digital reconstructions, museum displays, etc. will be compared with
'300' vs. 1962's 'The 300 Spartans', thereby, providing a more accurate
depiction of the battle than that portrayed by Hollywood.
Copyrighted image courtesy of Nikos Panos - To read the Battle of Thermopylae overview, please click this image
For those who have a deep appreciation and admiration for the story of the 300 Spartans, please note that a portion of the proceeds from all of the items that appear in this site, including the King Leonidas limited edition sculpture and those from the online storewill be forwarded towards the funding of the 2010 Leonidas Expedition. The
objectives of the expedition are to locate the site of the Phokian
skirmish and to establish a 'best case scenario' for the path that
Hydarnes and the Immortals used to encircle the Greek forces.
Monument at Thermopylae dedicated to King Leonidas and the 300 Spartans of Thermopylae - To view the 2010 Leonidas Expedition roster, please click here
The enconium below also composed by the poet Simonides and dedicated to the 300 Spartans
was recorded by the historian Diodorus of Sicily - From Professor Peter Green's book 'Diodorus Siculus, Books 11-12.37.1'
"Of those who died at Thermopylai renowned is the fortune, noble the fate: Their grave's an altar, their memorial our mourning, their fate our praise. Such a shroud neither decay nor all-conquering destroy. This sepulcher of brave men has taken the high renown of Hellas for its fellow occupant, as witness Leonidas, Sparta's king who left behind a great memorial of valor, everlasting renown."
Proceeds used towards the funding of the Leonidas Expeditions
All original texts and images are copyright (c) 2006-2009 by John Trikeriotis
First 50,000 hits - February 24, 2007 150,000 hits - March 21, 2007 1/4 million hits - April 18, 2007 350,000 hits - August 1, 2007 450,000 hits - September 30, 2007 1/2 million hits - November 11, 2007 600,000 hits - February 22, 2008 700,000 hits - June 2, 2008 3/4 million hits - August 22, 2008 800,000 hits - November 8, 2008 900,000 hits - April 26, 2009
To view this page translated into Greek, please click this image (Elliniki metafrasi)
Added April 4th, 2009 More than a 160 different countries have visited this site in over a month!
