Thermopylae Film!

[Dithrambus]

Tom Gervasi wrote: So if Xerxes didn't have a million soldiers, 300,000 vs 300 is still 1,000 to 1, 100,000-300 is still 333 1/3 to 1. Not my idea of a good time.

It was not any number vs 300, there were roughly 7000? (or more) Greeks at Thermopylae and on the third day 700 Thespians and 400 Thebans remained in the pass with the Spartans (at least those Thespians and Thebans that had survived the first two days) Sorry, but this is something that frustrates me when people only refer to the 300 Spartans. :wink: mile:

I don't think there can be many people out there now who do not know of the existence of the Thespians, Mark!!!! :lol: You have done an excellent job as a sort of time-travelling tourism & cultural attache for ancient Thespiai (especially at Thermopylai)!!! ;-)

But it is significant.

I haven't seen anybody rushing on here to discuss the Theban dichotomy during the Persian Invasion of 480BC. There were certainly some citizen's of Boiotia's leading city who sided with the confederate Greeks, even if the official position was earth and water sympathy to Xerxes. Were all of the 400 really there as hostages? Perhaps they included men who really loathed the Persians too? I know what Herodotos says, but perhaps they did want to fight (and not just tokenistically) but on the final day decided surrender was more appropriate given Thebes' proximity to Malis? Of course the Thespians took a different view. I wonder - have we been TOO harsh on the Thebans at Thermopylai?

I think it enriches the story that there were three different groups left at the end. As Mark reminds us - it was not just the Spartans. But they certainly were the key element. If the Spartans had decided to retreat - would the Thespians have stayed alone? Who knows? Unlikely I would guess, since they were joining the Spartans rather than leading them. But we must not minimise their contribution. Sparta had 10,000 more men at home and Thespiai probably very few.

Yes, the Theban element at Thermopylae has been a matter of debate, I think you may be right though in that perhaps we have not given them proper recognition.