Custom made linothoraxes and helmets to be sold (see below)
King Leonidas of Sparta limited edition statue (quantity 50) - $525.00, plus S&H - To purchase or reserve a copy of which only several remain, please click on this image (c) DiAnne Cooper/John Trikeriotis
King Leonidas and the 300 Spartans of 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 movie 'The 300 Spartans' starring Richard Egan, along with many other mediums consisting of artwork, books, statues, etc.
The legendary defense of the Pass of Thermopylae was the focus of Steven Pressfield's 'Gates of Fire' which received many accolades and which was visited once again with the 2007 premier of the Warner Bros'. movie '300'. Since this movie was based on a series of comic books written and illustrated by Frank Miller, there were many embellishments throughout which have been addressed in these pages.
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.
Symbols of Spartan might
***HISTORY OF SPARTA POSTERS EXCLUSIVELY AVAILABLE ON THIS SITE ***
For more detailed information about these posters and the pricing for each of the dimensions available, please access the following link.
Officer of the Mora (Regiment) of the city of Sparta
Custom made historically accurate linothoraxes and helmets from any period of ancient Greek history such as the items featured below can be made to your exact specifications. Each of these items are individually handcrafted by the artists and will be available through this site. If you have any questions, please contact me.
Helmet of Spartan royalty/officer
Custom made linothorax
Greek hoplite helmet
1962's 'The 300 Spartans' (c) 20th Century Fox - Images and memorabilia for sale can be accessed via this link
Copyrighted image courtesy of Nikos Panos - To read the Battle of Thermopylae overview, please click this image
2007's '300' (c) Warner Bros. - Images and memorabilia for sale can be accessed via this link
With
the release of the Warner Bros. '300' DVD, many of the
under-17 age group that didn't gain admittance due to the restrictive
'R' rating finally have had a chance to view the movie. The concern of elementary and high
school teachers is that the aforementioned age group will
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 if it is factual or not? 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, materials and demonstrations for those who are interested in learning more about the Battle of Thermopylae, Sparta, its allies and Persia.
'Warriors of Thermopylae' appear in Baltimore's Greek Independence Day Parade on March 30th, 2008 - Image courtesy of Rena Chios
'Warriors of Thermopylae' and 'The Greek Warriors' in the April 6th, 2008 NYC Greek Independence Day Parade - Images can be viewed by clicking this photo - Courtesy of Eleni Daniels
Monument at Thermopylae dedicated to King Leonidas and the 300 Spartans of Thermopylae - To view the 2009 Leonidas Expedition roster, please click here
For those who have a deep appreciation and admiration for the story of the 300 Spartans, please note that the proceeds from the online storewill be forwarded towards the funding of the 2009 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.
(GO TELL THE SPARTANS PASSERBY, THAT HERE OBEDIENT TO THEIR LAWS WE LIE)
This epitaph (see above) which was written in Greek and its English translation directly beneath was composed by the poet Simonides and dedicated to the 300 Spartans
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."
"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)
All original texts and images are copyright (c) 2006-2008 by John Trikeriotis
First 50,000 hits - February 24, 2007 150,000 hits - March 21, 2007 250,000 hits - April 18, 2007 350,000 hits - August 1, 2007 450,000 hits - September 30, 2007 500,000 hits - November 11, 2007 600,000 hits - February 22, 2008 700,000 hits - June 2, 2008
