The movie "300" is against the reality.Why?

Question

The Frank Miller's comic book and this movie are based on Herodotus' history and everybody knows Herodotus is the father of history,but he was a liar.He is famous just as first historical writer,but his history especially about Persia is completly wrong.If we want to be honest,Persia was one of greatest empery and nobody can deny the importance of Persia on that period of time.But Herodotus wrote about Persia and its people like brabarian.

Answer 1

herodotus is the father of history because he was the first person to actually take down events for future reference. however, his version of history was inaccurate because he included greek beliefs, legends and myths[him being greek and all].

ancient greeks referred to themselves as civilized and looked upon any non-greek as barbarians.

this doesnt make it any more right but the fact is that's how it WAS. the story is told from the view of the greeks and not the persians. if it was told from the persian's view..it would be completely different and the greeks would be complaining about it then.
naturally, the movie is against reality because that is exactly what it is.. a movie. it is meant to entertain and not to be taken as a factual base of events. the movies, just like the comic, is based on a real event [the battle at thermopylae] but the story is not necessarily completely true [just like titanic]

Answer 2

The movie and the book on which it is based are both largely fiction. Herodotus is a different matter.

There are many cases in which Herodotus, either uncertain of the truth of an event or unimpressed by the lacklustre 'facts' presented to him, reports the several most prominent accounts of a given subject or process and then opines as to which he believes is the most probable. Though The Histories were often criticized in antiquity for bias, inaccuracy and even plagiarism (for example, Lucian of Samosata attacked Herodotus as a liar in Verae historiae and went so far as to deny him a place among the famous on the Island of the Blessed), this methodology has been seen in a more positive light by many modern historians and philosophers, especially those searching for an example of relatively objective historical writing. Of course, given the sensitivity of the issue, the very founding of the discipline of history, this has not become a consensus view; attacks have been made by several scholars in modern times, a few even arguing that Herodotus exaggerated the extent of his travels and completely fabricated sources—that he made up more than one on a given topic is worse, they seem to say, not better.
Discoveries made since the end of the 19th century have helped to rehabilitate Herodotus' reputation a great deal. The archaeological study of the now submerged ancient Egyptian city of Heraklion and the recovery of the so-called 'Naucratis stela' lend substantial credence to Herodotus' previously unsupported claim that Heraklion was founded under the Egyptian New Kingdom. Because of this recent increase in respect for his accuracy, as well as the quality and content of his observations, Herodotus is now recognized as a pioneer not only in history, but in ethnography and anthropology as well.

Answer 3

The persians are in deed threated unhistorical in "300", even more than they are in the original text.
However, "300" isn't about spartans and persians as such.
They are loosely based on historical people, kind of like most WW II action movies are loosely based on history.

The Persian Empire was in deed the only proper empire at the time; the greek city states where rather small in comparison. However, they did have a more efficient army. This was however largely due to the fact that most of the labour was done by slaves, enabling the free men to dedicate time to martial training.
This was ESPECIALLY true of Sparta, which was one of the most repressive slave societies ever.

In this period, everyone where, by our standards, barbarian. Nice people where simply not invented.

Answer 4

300 is a movie based on a graphic novel based on a greek historian....and you expect it to be accurate? Come on.

History is always a falsification of what actually occured in some sense, even about Persia. The Persian Empire was a great one, but the moral of the story is true, few stood against many and whooped em'. The invasion also united Greece, leading to a much more intellectual and productive empire.

Answer 5

One of the first lessons in historiography is that the victors, for the most part, write the history books, so you have to interpret everything written with that lens.

Of course Herodotus rooted for the Greeks "Objectivity" as a component of a competent historian is a relatively new invention. (and some would argue that we still have to work on that.)

Answer 6

I watched '300' and I didn't see the Persians as barbarians. The way they dressed and acted showed them as a superpower. They tried to extend their empire and they overreached, just like other empires in history. They were the winners in '300', even if they eventually lost the war. It would be interesting to see Persians make the same movie from their point of view.

Answer 7

People give me a break it is just a movie my favorite movie but just a movie. We know its not real b/c the real battle all the Spartans where gay. So if you have seen this movie you know the guys in the movie aren't gay! They all have born sons and there is a great deal of sex in it. So if that's a lie then other things must be a lie!! It just a movie. It was made that way to be more dramatic.

Answer 8

I've read these assertions since the moving came out. This is why I have not seen it. I will not pay for a political cause. The technology the Director used is not new, it's just not been done to this level. I've not heard anyone rave about the story, but I've heard plenty talk about the politics and the technology. no thanks....

Answer 9

I have not seen the movie '300', I have read Herodotus.
I am sure at the time the Persians spoke and wrote of the Greeks as "barbarians" too.

Answer 10

He portrayed them as barbarians because the Greeks didn't like the Persians that much. Unfair but true.