The Power of Myth in the Battle of Thermopylae Having now read selections from Herodotus and Plutarch and seen the films The 300 Spartans and 300. The latter, because of its realism, how each film portrays the Spartans and Persians, and abstract takes on certain characters, 300 provides the best adaptation of the Thermopylae story. The 300 Spartans appeared on the big screen in 1962, as a sword and sandals epic. It was released in a time where geopolitics fueled the film industry with suspicions of Cold War connotations. In many scenes they talk of freedom, and although Spartans had two kings, they thrived in a socialist driven world {according to Plutarch “INSERT QUOTE HERE}. While the film is for the most part historically accurate it
