DarkHorse Comics: Frank MIller's 300
The Persian-Greco war in 1000 words or less
Frank Miller's latest adventure series is a riveting
story of one of the most under-reported and
glorious battles of the Persian-Greco war. While Miller has taken
substantial creative liberties in reporting the details of his version of
the Spartan King Leonidas and his army of 300 valiant soldiers, the
events he describes are remarkably accurate.
"There's a scene where the Persian ambassador asks for a token gift
of land and water, and a Spartan leads him to a well, and shoves him
in, to his death. Like so much that is in this book, that actually came
from reality," Miller attests, laughing. "I mean, I moved it around. I take
all the liberties any fiction maker does, but the Spartans actually did
treat tyrants that way."
Most comics readers, being literate and generally interested in
adventurous stuff, probably have some background in Greek history,
and might even know something about the Persian invasion of
Greece. Still, not much is known on a general level about the specific
battle depicted in 300, so we thought it might be a good idea to
provide a simplified timeline of sorts for readers who are interested in
learning more about the history behind what Miller calls "the best
damn story I've ever gotten my hands on."
An early history of the rise of Persia and its great King Xerxes reveals a
relatively rapid growth of the Persian empire. The empire was founded
around 550 B.C. by Cyrus the Elder, who in a very short time managed
to incorporate Babylon, Syria, Phoenicia, and every other land adjacent
to Persia into the growing nation. Within twenty years, Cambyses, who
succeeded Cyrus in Persia's rule, incorporated Egypt into the empire,
and with another twenty years, then-Persian leader Darius established
a firm bridge-head into Greece by conquering and claiming both
Scythia and Thrace. By the time the great Xerxes took reign of Persia,
some sixty-five years after its founding by Cyrus, Greece had already
defeated the expanding empire during one attempted invasion, and
was steeling itself against any further attacks. And further attacks were
a guaranteed prospect, given the Persian army's unprecedented
numbers.
Despite the strength of the individual Greek societies at this time,
there was not yet any notion of there being a Greek nation. Athens was
inarguably the most sophisticated of the city-states, but Sparta, with its
almost primal customs and infused warrior mentality acted as a great
potential threat against the advancing Persians. In the face of the
imminent Persian invasion, a makeshift alliance grew between the
Greek states, loosely uniting the strong Athenian navy, the vicious
Spartans, who knew the intimidating Greek terrain better than anyone
else, and various factions from smaller cities.
Still, problems arose between the more academic and civilized
Athenians and their Spartan counterparts. Since Athens had by far
contributed the most troops to the confrontation, Athenians
understandably wanted their leader Themosticles named
commander-in-chief. Sparta, on the other hand, claimed superior
knowledge of battle and warfare, therefore its preferred leader was the
Spartan Eurybiades. An informal resolution named Eurybiades
admiral, despite the widely recognized fact that Themosticles made
most of the pertinent decisions.
When Xerxes initiated the Persian offense from Susa in 481 (BC), he
sent forth messengers with demands for submission from all the
Greek states, including Sparta, and his messengers were met with
resounding refusals to comply. By the spring of 480, smallish advance
forces were being deployed by numerous Greek states, including
Sparta, in efforts to thwart the imminent invasion of the Persian army.
In mid-August of the same year, at a time when most Greek city-states
were withdrawing from their holding positions for religious observation
of the Carneia and for Olympic competitions, a small force of 300
Spartans, led by King Leonidas, marched north to Thermopylae to
fortify that important pass. This force was reinforced by factions from
neighboring cities, but the total number of Greeks involved never
topped seven thousand.
While the Persian navy was suffering formidable losses at sea due to
a terrible storm and the subsequent attack of the Athenian navy,
Xerxes ordered his land troops forward to attack the Spartan's defense
of the Hot Gates at Thermopylae. For the first two days of the battle at
Thermopylae, the Persians were badly defeated by the steadfast
Spartan-led troops, but on the third day, Xerxes' imperial guard found
access to a previously undiscovered pass (revealed to them by a
turn-coat Greek) that allowed them to outflank Leonidas' guard. Xerxes
ordered yet another frontal attack -- of the same caliber that had been
defeated the previous two days -- but this time, he also commanded a
second attack from the rear mountain pass. Leonidas and his
Spartans were defeated after two glorious days of battle, and Xerxes'
troops eventually advanced into Southern Greece, despite the heavy
losses dealt by the 300 Spartans.
The following year was tumultuous for the allied Greek states, as the
invaders took Attica, and the Acropolis at Athens fell to Persian troops.
Nevertheless, Greece managed to prevail over the tiring Persians in
key battles, and by late 479, a fortified alliance between the remaining
Spartan forces and Athens proved formidable enough to reclaim the
lost Greek territories and defeat Persia.
Revisit this most remarkable and under-reported battle of the Persian
invasion of Greece with Frank Miller's latest Dark Horse series, 300
http://www.darkhorse.com/news/features/pg_feview/sku_97655/item_97655a/index.html
i just ordered a copy from Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1569714029/105-7404773-7648758
along with a copy of
Gates of Fire
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0553580531/105-7404773-7648758
