Has anyone who has recently watched the movie 300, agree that it is an insult to Persia's most glorious past?

Question

Seeing those arrogant and brutal Spartan crowing about the supposedly enlightened values that their child-murdering state defended in the face of Eastern ''tyranny'', is a stark reminder that even though many centuries may have passed since those events took place, the Western world continues to cherish a misplaced sense of moral and cultural superiority where its relationship with the East is concerned.

Answer 1

past is past and life moves on. Be happy and spread love and watch more movies dear

Answer 2

If that is all you think the Persian empire was in the past - "most glorious" - and you prefer the whitewashed version of its history - why would you condemn the Western world for doing the same? Is this your golden opportunity to tell us Westerners we "cherish a misplaced sense of moral and cultural superiority" but your Eastern world does not? Surely you can find something better than a comic-book movie like '300' to make your point with. If you really want to show us some "enlightened values", let's debate something from Zenophon or Herodotus instead. I challenge you to put your morals where your mouth is.

Answer 3

Perhaps you are slightly overreacting, after all this is Hollywood were talking about. True as it is that some ways of the Spartans may have seemed a bit on the violent side, they only thought it was the way of life best suited to defend their people. Perhaps also, you should consider the motives of your dear Persians to attack in the begining? The Spartans had every right to defend themselves in whatever way they could. What would you do if a vast army bent only on greed and lust was marching towards your home, your family, all the people you loved, with the intention to burn and pillage. What would you have done if an empire that had already killed, conquered and enslaved so many came to your house, and took prisoner your mother, you children, your friends? You must understand that the Spartans did not kill so many simply because they wanted to be racsist and just decided on the persians for sport. They did it to protect what they loved, not their lives, but their country, their honor.

Today we do not honor them as Western idols, or as violent warriors. We do not honor them for the death they caused, but for why they caused it. We honor them because it gives us hope in a hopeless world to see that there have always been a brave few who could stand up to what they believe in against unthinkable odds. It had nothing to do with who they were or where they came from, it was what was in their hearts.

And after all, how will we ever know the true story?? As Napolean said "What is history, but a fable agreed upon??"

Answer 4

The notion that this move is an insult to "Persia's glorious past" is the kind of idea that develops in a totalitarian state. First of all, it is a movie. All historical movies in the U.S. take liberties with history, and so are guilty of the same thing. Second of all, anyone who knows history, which is few, know about the 2 powerful empires of the Persians in the past. Such people also know about the highly repressive government that is there now, and how it whines incessantly when people insult it or its religion, while it feels free to distort the truth at will regarding the holocaust, etc.

Answer 5

The movie is in simple fashion a glorification and dramatization of what is considered by many to be a great moment in history where a few stood against many and made their mark. A similar, but more modern battle of such caliber would be the Alamo. It taps virtues such as courage, discipline, strength, and fortitude. Things that we respect even today in our more modern civilization.

Answer 6

If you are going to answer a question, please do not spread your own opinion on the matter into the smaller text of the question. If you want a truthful answer, simply ask the question. Don't be a politician about such things.

As for your question, you forget (or perhaps never knew) that Sparta was in its time the most advanced culture as far as women's rights and most education in the world. While it had indeed regarded physical strength in a higher light than education, many of its citizens were still highly educated. The women of Sparta were perhaps the most educated of the time period, and had more rights than America gave its own women for hundreds of years (this being an ancient civilization), such as the ability to own property, similar divorce laws for women as for men, and the ability to go and dress as they pleased. Not to mention that adultery in Sparta remains as some of the lowest in the ancient world (certainly, I would surmise, much lower than in any state of America). And before you take me for a feminist, realize that I am male and I am not feminist, nor blinded by my gender. I can support women's rights as I please.

EACH and EVERY culture has a dark side. Before you demoralize one ancient culture, you should look at the positives it contributed to its particular society. And for that matter, look at the cultures around it and delve your mind into their own dark histories.

Answer 7

Perhaps if you want Persians to be looked at favorably by the world, you might consider getting rid of your president and religious leaders who have made you into a totalitarian religious state that denies history, oppresses it's people, is incapable of sustaining criticism without responding with vitriol and bitterness and has generally become a model of hostility, ignorance and religious fascism to most of the rest of the planet.

Answer 8

Instead of watching a movie that uses 'poetic license' try reading the real history of the battle before you start running down the people who defended Athens.

Answer 9

Nope, no insult. Just a movie, and one based on a graphic comic for chrissakes. You need to chill.

Answer 10

Its all just entertainment if you want to take offence at every single thing you dont like in this life exactly when are you going to get a life?