The following are some pictures of Xerxes and his soldiers as depicted in Persepolis at the time and reconstructed based on those images. Compare these with what you see in 300. I’ve grown up in the Province of Persia and seen actual images of Persian soldiers and kings engraved in stone and I just can’t get over the humiliation that this stupid movie has brought us…
Xerxes:
Achaemenid Soldiers in Persepolis:
The image of a typical Persian soldier:
A reconstruction of the Persian Army during the Achaemenid Empire:
The Persian Empire at the time of Xerxes:
Technorati Tags:
Thoughts, Movies, Iran, Persian Culture, Persia, 300, Spartans
75 responses so far ↓
Mario Majors // April 17, 2007 at 6:07 am
“The following are some pictures of Xerxes and his soldiers as depicted in Persepolis at the time and reconstructed based on those images. Compare these with what you see in 300. I’ve grown up in the Province of Persia and seen actual images of Persian soldiers and kings engraved in stone and I just can’t get over the humiliation that this stupid movie has brought us…”
Please, you did not actually expect historical accuracy from Hollywood? Besides, the Greeks look just as ridiculous. In any case, welcome to my world, I am Italian-American, and I am so tired of movie Romans with English accents I cannot begin to express it in words!
dk // July 29, 2007 at 8:38 am
after i saw 300, i wanted to compare with real historical image of persian and spartan. as you commented, these images looks quite different with the movie. especially appearance of king Xerxes. in the movie he looks like mad punk pearcing guy. what a silly. anyway thank you for your posting. good information.
David // August 2, 2007 at 5:31 am
Morons. There’s a reason we don’t all speak persian (farsi). Sparta had something to do with that, but they’re not the whole story. Figure it out – not only are you on the wrong path, but Islam is a lie. You think not? Repeatedly it says in Quran that Jesus birth of a virgin is a lie – that when God says a thing it is so. Well, what if God says a virgin s gonna have my baby? Did you ever give it a minute’s thought?
Get ready, ’cause God is coming for YOU.
Lary // August 5, 2007 at 6:57 am
In response to what “David” said -
Islam never said Jesus’s birth from the Virgin Mary was a lie. It talks about it clearly in the Quran. How about you actually pick up the Quran and read it before coming up with such things?
So you better get ready because God is coming for YOU.
I think Hollywood could have done a better job of depicting the Persians…it wouldn’t have killed them.
Tom // August 6, 2007 at 3:43 pm
The movie 300 was adapted from a comic book. Its not supposed to be ENTIRELY historically accurate. You guys just need to relax and enjoy a movie for what it is…a movie.
Rob // August 7, 2007 at 7:04 am
I agree with Tom. You people need to relax and get over you religious crap. Just enjoy the damn movie. And for the Religious people like David…… More people have died in the name of a ‘God’ than anything else. Religion is nothing but brain washing for those that cannot answer the questions about where we all come from so they make up a bunch of crap to put in a book so they have morals and stories. Try to feel secure in just being human, there doesnt have to be a God to explain things you know…. Get a life!!
Boone // August 9, 2007 at 1:56 pm
Why is the movie 300 even being compared to religion? It’s a movie about a king who refused to live under a tyrant’s rule despite inner politics and fought back. Never did he struggle with religion. Why would anyone look for accuracy in a film based off of a graphic novel that even the creators have REPEATEDLY stated is only based off of The battle of Thermopylae with a lot of stylized artistic license. It was created for entertainment, not education. Tom, you said it best: it’s a movie people.
jen swank // August 9, 2007 at 9:49 pm
In the US, our understanding of the world is shaped through the media we consume. In 300, Persians are made to look like naked savages, and so that’s what Americans are going to think of Persians– past or present. Taking the current political climate into consideration, don’t you think this is a problem?
Shantell // August 10, 2007 at 4:43 am
It is interesting that no one has ever thought that the reason the the Persians were depicted as a people that were savages is that they were a force to be reckoned with and also people of color but again this was only a movie but it raises alot of questions and hopefully it will encourage others to really learn about history
Cristian // August 15, 2007 at 6:02 pm
Very true, but it is just a movie. Besides everyone on their own is looking the guy up to see if it is indeed true, so there’s no need to get worked up about it.
Moravius // August 18, 2007 at 9:24 am
Movies like any other art form are meant to evoke emotion, thought, and inspiration. The emotion, thoughts and inspiration that the BEHOLDER chooses to feed are the responsibility of that beholder, NOT the artist.
so choose what you feed to help create the world you wouyld like to live in.
Mark // August 19, 2007 at 6:17 am
A very entertaining movie. Don’t try to look too much into this. The uniforms and personalities may not be historically correct, but I think this is simply innocent ignorance and creativity. What about the soundtrack? This wasn’t the music the Spartans or Persians were listening to.
patrice // August 19, 2007 at 3:41 pm
whoever is on this subject ought to look up the older movie starring kirk douglas- for the day that it was made in, they tried to be as accurate as possible. it was good. loved 300- it still has points although not culturally accurate. although there were some black Persians but Xerxes certainly was not. ANyone brought up on the bible knows better.
Terry // August 22, 2007 at 4:09 am
I think it is kind of disturbing they way they protrayed the Persians because most of our problems in the middle east are aggravated by misunderstanding of the people. It was just weird costumes, the persians were casted as morally degenerates, which is natural because the movies creator was establishing the spartans as heroes. What disturbs me most growing up in America there were two highschools in my town and one of them were the spartans and the other was the trojans. Has anyone ever heard of school in american where they were the Persians?
Terry // August 22, 2007 at 4:18 am
Oh and as far as Xerxes being a tyrant. I would like to know what’s the difference between what he did and Alexander the Great. Why isn’t Alexander the Great written historically as a Tyrant. I personally think the movie is great if you like violence, but for historical accuracy it wasn’t, it was totally spun. Yeah there was a war because two nations feared each other. Man has been so stupid to fall for that same old war over and over since then. I personally have no desire to entertain the idea that Spartans or Persians are villians.
OHIOBUCK // August 24, 2007 at 3:07 pm
300, GREAT MOVIE! Yea the Persians dress and overall look was inaccurate. Spartan look and training pretty dead-on. You know what though…its based of a comic book…!? You don’t see me getting pissed off cause they portray Superman as the way he is, or Spiderman, Batman the way they are….? I’m a white boy from States, and I know that there are plenty ME’s out there who clown out culture…so WHAT…! Just go work out…and have a great day!
nobody // August 28, 2007 at 9:49 pm
i dont care if its historically accurate or not, anything would have been an improvement over the flowery dress and blue and orange chef hats.
darius // September 29, 2007 at 8:34 pm
i see perpolis & iranian.i compare between picture and move . i think 300 in not true at all. this move is joke. iam sorry for hollywood.
they think that people are stupid .
Trebor // October 2, 2007 at 11:35 am
Hollywood is not a history lesson, it is here to entertain, and “are you not entertained?” sorry about the quote it had to be done. so please chill out, 300 as a movie had some epic battle scenes and I personally enjoyed the storyline. So please stop taking everything so seriously.
jesse // October 3, 2007 at 4:47 am
um..remember the giant monsters part? or like….the huge beast? or any number of ‘fictitious’ parts of the movie…come on.its a movie,if your that pissed maybe you should NOT watch them…its pretty easy.i dont like listening to endless hours of crap so i dont read blogs…real easy and that movie was bad ass,which i guess you missed while fact hunting a comic book based film….
shabangbang // October 4, 2007 at 12:54 pm
you guys are gay if your gonna comment on history
thexdan@yahoo.it // October 30, 2007 at 11:42 pm
Well the movie is about how a small bunch of fanatics humiliated a superpower in a mountainpass.
Viewed that way it could be seen as pro-Al Qaeda propoganda.
But while I agree it’s just a movie couln’t they have just made a fantasy movie and had done with it? Why use real names?
The Italian Youth fascist movement used a Spartan helmet with the slogan, “Join us and we won’t be only 300″ as a recruitment poster and the timing of the movie is interesting given that the US is planning to attack Iran.
Das Juden was “just a movie” but look at where that led.
Anton // November 7, 2007 at 5:37 am
“Figure it out – not only are you on the wrong path, but Islam is a lie. ”
Islam Did NOT Originate in Persia you dumb Bitch! In fact THIS IS CENTURIES BEFORE THE BIRTH OF MUHAMMAD.
“Get ready, ’cause God is coming for YOU.”
Sorry to disappoint you, but NOBODY CARES.
” Well, what if God says a virgin s gonna have my baby? Did you ever give it a minute’s thought?”
Until he tells me HIMSELF, I wont think about it for a single second. But hey, since God created women he sure most now how to satisfy a woman in bed! :lol I wonder how long his penis is.
GOD // November 10, 2007 at 8:44 pm
Stop it… all of you! Your preachers are idiots, they do not speak for me, and I sure as Hell don’t speak TO them. Organized religion is shit. And those who follow it are fools. I am within you, if you need another carbon based life form to tell you this, then you are a pathetic waste of space. That prick Bush and his Cretin followers will have a special place in Hell reserved for them. Me damn it!
Abelardus // December 20, 2007 at 2:37 am
It’s a narrow line we walk between creative freedom & discretion — on the one hand it is just a movie, based on a graphic novel based on a movie already inaccurate; but images can have a lasting effect on the psyches of folk; & I, a Westerner in ethnicity & nationality, have a glowing admiration for the history of the Persian peoples throughout the ages, from Zoroaster to Rumi. It is a puzzlement.
My beef is with the people who take the movie AS a history lesson — who say thus-and-so proves there’s an attack on “the West”. And given the above admiration for the Persians I can understand why many would be upset.
I must’ve got off point; anyway it’s a precarious path along the mountain of interpersonal relations.
Kitten // December 25, 2007 at 6:41 pm
i absolutely LOVED that movie!!! was it ficticous as hell? of course it was..when i saw how fuggan huge Xerxes was compared to Leonidas,i fell out laughin!! but it was carnage from beginning to end!! that was a MAN’S war,and i couldn’t take my eyes off it! to me it was very entertaining,and i also know it was JUST a movie..some of you in here need to lighten up and enjoy the show…
Thomas // December 27, 2007 at 4:27 pm
1.Dont talk about Islam because muslims kill americans. They kill people who mess with their gov’t and people. Find out what Jihad means people.
2.They aint depict the spartans or the persians right.
3.Get over hollywood doing what they did. Its hollywood.
4.And Abelardus…what are you a persian scholar from ancient babylonia. You sound retarted.
Wow // January 6, 2008 at 9:26 pm
Wow people are ignorant. Did anyone happen to see what year this battle took place? btw. The orginal persians were white. Sorry to break the news.
x_boy_3x // January 31, 2008 at 8:05 am
hi im iranian and sorry about 300 move and hollywod and everey one trust the 300 beacuse its a big lieeeeeeee iranian ar kind people and relax and happy its not realy
Arash // February 3, 2008 at 7:12 pm
i’m persian…
300 was JUST a movie people!
remember how kazags responded Borat!
it’s just a movie! Entertaining and Actually NOT REAL!
Michael // February 26, 2008 at 11:24 pm
It’s called artistic liberty. “300″ was made this way to attract more viewers because a lot of people find history a boring topic.
To Jen: It was the Spartans running around naked in the movie, not the Persians and both sides saw each other as barbaric.
To Terry: Alexander is written as a megalomaniacal tyrant who killed more men than all the Greek wars of the past century had. Even in the movie it showed him driving onward and his men beginning to mutiny. He was away from Greece for 10 years before dying. Sounds pretty tyrannical to me.
To Shantell: The Persians were NOT a “people of color.” The major ethnic group of the area during that time was Indo-European. Iranians are Indo-European.
If anyone was genuinely interested in finding the truth they would have researched it and not taken what 300 said word for word. We all knew it was ficticious with a factual base. Love it or hate it; nobody cares.
death to 300 // March 7, 2008 at 1:16 am
Thomas, what you said was the biggest bullsh*t I have ever heard of.
1. Is christianity so different? What happened to the KKK? At least islam says to kill to save a life, instead of kill to be superior like the christians.
2.The spartans came out of a book called the AMERICAN spartans. they call the new marines spartans.
3. Did you know that persians and iranians are the same thing? read a history book.
4. The spartans pose heroic but they call persians all cruel names and said “we should kill all persians!”
5. This is a movie that was trying to wage war against iran.
Arioch // March 7, 2008 at 5:15 am
In my history class, they taught us that the persians treated their conquered peoples somewhat well, while the spartans had slaves that outnumbered the free spartans nearly 3 to 1. The reason why every spartan was a soldier was because they had slaves doing the actual work for them.
The Spartans soon became irrelevant when Philip II of Macedonia conquered them. The spartans might have been well trained, but they had poor tactics (as in, they were trained for phalanx shoving matches and not actually in killing other people, the Macedonians basically slaughtered them, and Philip II’s son eventually carved out the biggest empire at that time.
Boyan // March 8, 2008 at 11:46 am
@Arioch: a few remarks, if I may.
- Persia was an empire, but it’s structure differed somewhat from what many people expect from that word. As far as I understand, as long as “subjugated” people on the empire’s borders paid tribute, didn’t go against the emperor and could send soldiers for the army, they were mostly left alone. I’ve been interested in Thracian history, and many historians say the Thracians were never really subjugated as the map above implies – some tribes just allied themselves with Xerxes, paid their tribute (which considering how rich Persia was probably wasn’t as much), and didn’t bother any further.
As for the spartans’ tactics, the phalanx which they excelled was widely used afterwards. What the Macedonians had was a weapon that was useful to fight spearmen – the Sarissa pike – and a good cavalry. With phalanx combat being stationary in which 2 sides of spearmen tried to jab at each other, the usefulness of cavalry was obvious. OTOH, you do have a point – the quality of the Spartan tactics was called in question by the Thebans, who used a wedge formation. However, this formation meant putting their best soldiers in greatest danger – which, ironically, cost them their best general fairly early on. The spear wall, on the other hand, remained useful until the middle ages.
Arcangelwolf // March 29, 2008 at 8:06 pm
I actually really liked the 300 movie. I don’t see why people would get so upset over a movie especially considering that the descriptions of the persians in the movie itself were taken from a Spartan point of view who were also fictional characters. So to the person who started this blog… Just calm down, we americans don’t think people are bad because of a movie. We think people are bad when they start to riot because of what THEY saw in a movie, you follow? Anyway, to the rest of you posting stupid comments and saying “no body cares” you are victims of your own ignorance, thats all I have to say about that I’m sure you will NOT understand. Finally to you anti-religious and Over-religious people, this is a blog about a movie not about religion, I happen to be a christian and I know better than to comment on other people’s religion or to use my own to prove a point about a movie which history I know nothing of. Because lets face it Scientists and Historians do NOT have all the answers they did not live back then and most of their findings revolve arownd theories, which is more than I can say for the rest of you morons trying to sound like you know for a fact what the persians and spartans looked like.
Achaemenid // April 11, 2008 at 5:53 am
I agree with the quotes posted above. Hollywood is definitely not a history lesson, but unfortunately the youth of today believe everything they see and today’s kids wouldn’t even bother to research and study the real history to find out the true facts. Why should they when playing video games is more “fun”? Media controls the youth and the youth of today controls our future. The society that Orwell described in 1984 will actually arrive in a very near future. And that’s for sure.
“He who controls the past, controls the future”.
I must admit that this movie was entertaining but it is a dishonor to all the brave men and woman during that era. Hollywood once again succeeded to portray the Persians as savages not to mention the slavery and the view on women in ancient Persia that the Spartans had. Cyrus was the first king who put an end to slavery and dictatorial oppression, his goal was to exterminate such inhuman traditions around the world and the Persian Empire was democratic in nature and was the first ever Federal system in the world! Each State had absolute internal autonomy to do as they pleased in their own internal affairs. It was a primitive form of Federalism in comparison to today’s Federal systems, but imagine back then when everyone including China, Egypt, Greece and Rome practiced slavery and colonialism, Persia granted internal autonomy to all states.
Women in Ancient Persia were very valuable beings; they often had important positions in the Courthouse, Ministries, Military, State Department, and other official administrations. Also many Persian cities were ruled and were totally under control of women.
The truth is that after the Persian-Greek wars ended, Persian kings successfully played the Athenians and Spartans against each other for over 150 years. What Persia did not achieve through war, it always obtained through diplomacy!
Please visit my website if you are interested in Persian history during that era. I love ancient history as a hobby.
http://milli.110mb.com/queens.htm
http://milli.110mb.com/persepolis.htm
Achaemenian Dynasty // April 12, 2008 at 5:14 am
Hollywood is definitely not a history lesson, but unfortunately the youth of today believe everything they see and today’s kids wouldn’t even bother to research and study the real history to find out the true facts. Why should they when playing video games is more “fun”? Media controls the youth and the youth of today controls our future. The society that Orwell described in 1984 will actually arrive in a very near future. And that’s for sure.
“He who controls the past, controls the future”.
XERXES THE GREAT about SPARTANS:
“I am Xerxes, Emperor of Persia, son of Darius, grandson of Cyrus the Great. My grandfather Cyrus prevented slavery and liberated the Jews from their Babylonian exile and let them return to Judea and rebuild their temple. I myself married Esther, a Jew. I come from a long line of believers in the One God preached by Zarathustra, our Persian prophet whose teachings have influenced the Jews during their exile among us. I refer specifically to their concepts of Satan, Heaven and the future Messiah which weren’t part of their pre-exile belief system and are clearly borrowings from our Persian religion.
I am now embarking on the conquest of Greece, a backward region populated by primitive polytheists who worship capricious amoral deities and practice absurd religious rites. But my ancestors and I, having already conquered many Ionian Greeks, respect Greek philosophers and indeed have many of them in our employ. We have established a multi-ethnic empire. In that empire, Greeks fill important roles from the Mediterranean to India.
>>These Spartans confronting us at Thermopylae are cruel men who annually kill for sport! And make war on the defenseless helots (slaves) that live around them. They have nothing to tell us Persians or the world in general about freedom!”
300 // May 7, 2008 at 3:58 am
one things you butt hurt individuals don’t understand is that 300 isn’t supposed to historically correct. it’s an entertaining comic created for just that.
soyti // May 16, 2008 at 3:32 pm
it was a great film.. because of that movie, my teacher in history thougth that xerxes is a gay?
Xerxes // May 20, 2008 at 1:39 pm
hallo das ist blod ich bin xerxes und ich seche das.
pringzter104 // May 21, 2008 at 3:31 am
nice blog….. thank you for sharing…..
js // May 27, 2008 at 2:25 pm
I recommend the book Creation by Gore Vidal. It’s a survey of the different empires around at that time; well researched and pretty informative, in a shiny historical-fiction wrapper…
js // May 27, 2008 at 2:26 pm
And ps- for those of you concerned about sexuality, look into the Spartans’ wedding practices and habits of pairing youths with older males through their training years.
jennifer ortiz // May 29, 2008 at 10:42 pm
cool pictures!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
jennifer ortiz // May 29, 2008 at 11:20 pm
you have good information and cool pictures!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
milad // June 3, 2008 at 6:44 am
فیلم 300 یک دروغ بزرگ بود که در تفکر ما ایرانیان نمی گنجید
که خشیار شا شاه صلح و عدالت را اینچنین ظالم و تاریک نشان دهند بروید کتیبه های او پدرش را بخوانید تا پی حقیقت وجودی آن بزرگ مرد تاریخ را بدانید.
300 not relly
Arash // June 12, 2008 at 10:52 am
OHIOBUCK , why don’t you go eat a potato for a buck. And Mr. NOBODY why don’t you join OHIOBUCK for some of that “freedom fries”! Invite form the above list as you please.
The movie 300 is a propaganda tool promoting “Western Tradition” and their so-called “Democracy”. In reality, this tradition has caused nothing but misery around the globe. For example look at the history of the American-Indians. This comic movie is also racist in essence and far from the reality. The Greek and Persian wars were triggered when Greek agitators burn down “Sardis” during the reign of the Darius the great. The Persians won the battle of Thermopylae and the outcome of the war since Greeks stopped their agitation and did not dare to venture into Persian territories for almost 200 years. Alexander was lucky to find the empire at its decline during the reign of Darius III. Had he dared to challenge Darius the great, Alexander-Heracles the self-proclaimed son of Zeus would not have made it across the sea. A final note: The movies’s historical account did not surprise me much since it is mostly based on Herodotus version of events. This father of European history either did not know numbers or he is the biggest lier of all times.
thewill // June 17, 2008 at 8:03 pm
In all the comments I’ve seen here not one person has seemed to grasp the basic premise of this film. The whole thing is being told from the perspective of the Spartan, Dilios, as he relates the story of the Battle of Thermopylae to other soldiers the night before the Battle of Plataea. Dilios naturally tells the story so as to make the Persians seem both more & less then human, thus making the Spartans that much more heroic. Xexes is shown as an imposing figure but at the same time less then masculine especially compared to the uber-macho Leonidas. The traitor Ephialtes is given a twisted, pathetic shape. The entire tale is Spartan propaganda, told by Dilios to inspire the other Greeks to defeat the Persians. As such it’s not meant to be historically accurate. In any case, comparing that time with our own era simply doesn’t work, because the cultures have all changed. The Persians of Xerxes time have as much in common with modern Iraqis as Celtic Druids have with the Queen of England. It’s just a movie.
ELADITSA // July 1, 2008 at 4:15 am
LISTEN I’M HALF SPARTAN, BUT I TOO WOULD BE UPSET. THE PERSIANS WERE VERY GOOD WARRIORS TOO. THE SPARTANS WERE TOUGH AND VERY COURAGEOUS AND WERE SOMETHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY, BUT THE REASON THE PERSIANS WERE SHOWN THAT WAY WAS THE MAKER WHO DIED AND DIDN’T SEE THE SUCCESS OF HIS OWN MOVIE, MADE IT TO EMBARASS THEM. AMERICA DOES NOT LIKE IRAN SO THINK ABOUT IT. YOU THINK AMERICA OR THE PRODUCER LOVES THE GREEKS NO!!!! THAT IS NOT THE REASON THE MOVIE CAME OUT THE WAY THAT IT DID. THERE WAS TRUTH BUT ALSO SOME MADE UP RIDICULOUS THINGS TOO!!!!
ELADITSA // July 1, 2008 at 4:18 am
WHAT IS THE MATTER WITH THESE PEOPLE BRINGING UP RELIGION? EVERYONE ATTACKS OTHERS FOR THEIR RELIGION. ITS SO STUPID.
Leto // July 12, 2008 at 3:14 pm
Ok, 300 was a good action movie, stupid but entreteined. I personally admire the persian culture, has many others in history, didnt Alexander adopt persian rites after conquering the empire?
It is true that the Spartans where slavers that kill for sport, it is also truth that the Persian want to conquer Greece and add it to their rule, but also is truth that the first human rigths chart came from Persia, not Greece.
I like the movie but I still think that the invasion of USA on middle east is an attemp to build a new empire, the movie is good, the accuracy is bad, and Bush stills a jerk, but why dont the Persians make a movie with their side, one that depict the spartan has barbarian enslavers(as they where), and the Persians has a great civilization(as they where), and Xerxes has a megalomaniac guy who want to extend his territories(as he and Alexander where)
Kevin // July 29, 2008 at 10:43 pm
I’m a teacher. A number of you hit it correctly – people think that what they see in the media is factual and then teachers like me have to go through and correct the misinterpretations. Judging by the number of mistakes in what was said, people are not educated about history (e.g. Indo-European is a language group, not a racial group, so, yes, the Persians were not white. Neither were the Greeks per se, as they are Mediterranean and have a very mixed geneology. Also, Islam did not exist for almost a millenia after Thermopoly, so that shouldn’t enter into any of this ). The movie had some fantastic cinematography, but the harm that it did to peoples’ perceptions of the battle and the Persians was unnecessary. If productions want to do a totally ficticious movie, then that is what should be done. Don’t hang the idea that it is history when the only history is in the name.
Shahan Amritatvi // July 30, 2008 at 9:31 pm
I am Persian of Aryan descent and I actually loved this movie. In fact, I like the way Xerxes was portrayed, because:
1. The Brazilian guy who played him, with the make-up and all looked VERY authentically Persian. It was like looking at a tall cousin or something… Regardless of the stone carvings @ Persepolis, no one can deny that guy looked ethnically Persian lol
2. The movie was hands down the sweetest thing ever… the CGI and special effects were mind boggling.
The only problem the movie really had was trying to hint that Persians disrespected women… which is entirely untrue, being that:
1. Many of the Immortals and military officials of the Achaemenid Empire were WOMEN. Whereas in Sparta women were given the status in likeness of slaves, but Persia did not differeintiate between male and female in status, especially because of Zoroastrian religion.
and
2. One of Xerxes wives was an Immortal Commander and actually gained many victories in his name.
behnam // September 15, 2008 at 8:53 am
hey guys.I’m persian.and I have something to tell you.the 300 is very bad movie i think.because no iranian is so bad.we persian did not have any monsters.we are not gay at all in all of our life.the historical persia is very great and powerfull.we are not black or indian.we are very kind and good people.and about relegions and islam.please don’t talk like this about any relegions.first read and think and search about the relegions and then talk about this.we are people not hate any people in the world.all of we persian in history have long facial hair and long hair.we use gold powder in our facial hair for design.please don’t bad with a country.first search about the persian and then talk.
we persian love all of the people in the world.
antonio // October 11, 2008 at 2:51 pm
Regardless if the movie is based on a comix its conception is quite unfair!!! Apparently Mr. Frank Miller the author of “300″ was completely ignorant. Speaking about “freedom” and all those big words when the Spartan society is a classical example of injustice and oppression! The helots, the majority of the population in Laconia and Messenia, was treated like subhuman, forced to wear hats made of dog skin as distinctive mark ( to remind them that they were nothing more than dogs for the Spartans), born to serve and do all the hard work- agriculture, livestock ect., unlike the higher social rank Spartan citizens. Some historical sources say that helots were slaves, but others describe them as an ethnicity in inferior position, which implies a form of racism and a Spartan ideology quite similar to the Nazis. The helots were whipped for no reason, just as a ritual, to remind them their status and that they have no rights. Those who could not serve and work because of any physical condition were immediately put to death. According to Plutarch, the Spartans could kill helots during a certain period of the year without explanations and any consequences. The helots were strictly forbidden of having weapons, and any form of rebellion, like the Earthquake revolt for example was brutally crushed. Sparta is more of a role model for a totalitarian country or a concentration camp. my opinion about “300″- Spartan “freedom fighters”, my a.., there was never such a thing!
Jason // October 30, 2008 at 3:03 am
Persians are different from Iranians -don’t confuse the two. Persians of the Parsa province and Shushtar (Susa) province speak a dialect different and much closer to Parsi-Sanskrit, than they do with Farsi, which is a mix of Arabic, Turkish, and Avestan.
araceli // October 30, 2008 at 1:17 pm
hey wats up
araceli // October 30, 2008 at 1:18 pm
heyyy i love sooooooo muuuuuuuccchhh
josh // November 13, 2008 at 9:58 pm
Islam is so false and wrong. Christianity is the only way to heaven. Oh, and 300 is a great movie. So. all of you just shut up.
josh // November 13, 2008 at 9:58 pm
And persians suck!!!!!!!! They got destoyed. hahahahahaha
Zac // December 7, 2008 at 9:21 pm
lol josh.
btw why are you people even saying “Xerxes was not black?”
he wasn’t black in the movie. the actor that played him was white.
the movie kicked major ass anyway. but its based on a comic. so dont expect it to be accurate. i was actually surprised to find some things very accurate, as i am writing a 25 page paper about the battle of Thermopylae. but yea some things were inaccurate, but they were supposed to be.
and dont bring fuckin america hating politics into this conversation or religion. they hav nothing to do with this subject. assholes.
Noworries2nite // March 6, 2009 at 7:44 pm
As a history teacher, I used clips from 300 to bring some of the battle alive for students, BUT we had a long discussion before and after about how Hollywood misportrayed the losing side, aka, the Persians, as monsters. We talked about how racism was a factor in the negative portrayal of Xerxes and his army.
Unfortunately, I know many who watch the movie don’t take the time to analyze these things, and it helps deepen their misunderstanding of the Persian people and their history.
kathy d // March 17, 2009 at 5:28 am
xerxes wasn’t even muslim. because that religion didnt even EXIST then. they were zoroastrian. that means the worshipped ahura mazda. its actually quite similar to christianity. figure it out, david. and the persians were actually pretty famous for their religious tolerance. damn learn some history.
Bahram O // April 4, 2009 at 7:22 am
Professor Anatoly Fomenko in his 7 volume
“History, Fiction or Science” proves that what is known as ancient Greece, Rome & Egypt were all
fabricated in the Renaissance.
Firdaus // April 10, 2009 at 11:30 pm
tnx for pictures!
zinda bod halki fors!
melkitsedek // May 3, 2009 at 4:57 pm
the spartens just lied to put themselves in a good position.thats what alot of people do.the persians just seem to powerful for 300 men to beat 3000 of them.LIES! 300 is so FAKE and OVERATED.
melkitsedek // May 3, 2009 at 5:33 pm
i am part native american half nigerian one third from the virgan islands.i am not persian and i totaly think 300 made the persians look so bad.they made spartens look like the good guys(wich they werent).i am sure persians didnt treat women like that.i dont think the persians showed the heads of kings to scare people.spartens probably did that.
ravenous woman // May 3, 2009 at 5:37 pm
cock is so good inside me.
melkitsedek // May 3, 2009 at 6:08 pm
to all you guys who say 3oo isnt supposed to be anything about history and its just a movie.YOU ARE POOP!
melkitsedek // May 7, 2009 at 12:49 am
to you white boys who say fu$#%@ bull%$#@ $$%& you.to you guys who say commen sense im happy there are people like me who now the truth.the guy who called himself GOD,i understand what your saying but its PRETTY MEAN.oh whoever the fudge ravenous woman is GO FIND A 5 FOOT COCK THAT KILLS YOU.litteraly. have fun with your orgasm.
ravenous woman // May 7, 2009 at 12:58 am
oh melkitsedek i did have fun with my orgasm.last night a 10 inch cock went wonderfully inside me.UUUUUH it felt SOOOO GOOOOOOOOOOOd.he F$%#d me up last night.I THOUGHT I WAS IN HEAVEAN.the guy who called himself god,did you see me there.to the guys who have big cock I Am RAVENOUS FOR YOU!i am waiting for my multiple orgasm.my pussy won,t let you down.
melkitsedek // May 7, 2009 at 1:00 am
josh is f$#$%$n BULLSHIT.i hope you find a place in hell with Bush.
tommy // May 7, 2009 at 1:06 am
revenous women my dick is gargantuin.what are you waiting for.FUCK ME.
Ashleigh // August 10, 2009 at 4:16 am
you know, it really suprises me how worked up people can get over hollywood.
once we get offended, we seem to forget that hollywood is a money maker… their top priority is to write a script that will MAKE THEM MONEY.
we should not be offended by movies such as 300, instead we should enjoy it… or not.
I actually find it amusing that an Iranian is offended by the portrayel of the Persians. They may be made off to look worse than what they actually were, but seriously… the main reason that Thermopylae was so legendary, was not because of the Persians, but because of the actions of the Spartans.
The movie 300 focused on the Spartans actions… TO MAKE MONEY!!!
if you actually look at it objectivly, you would realise that the Persians are made to look more ‘evil’ then they really were, just as the Spartans were made to look heroic.
this movie is a moralistic view… not a historically correct view… its a story of the underdog… one that we can all recognise with… and the people that bring religious arguements into it, well, religion has nothing to do with this movie…
sure, I am Catholic, not Muslim, so i immediatly look at that particular arguement from a different point of view… but come on people…
As for the Persians not being a coloured race… people… just look at the size of Xerxes empire… half the countries that he had power over were coloured background… Xerxes drew his army from all nations subjective to him… of course some of his army is going to be coloured.
Oh and Terry, the reasons the schools mascots were the Spartans and the Trojans…. is would be becuase unlike the Persians, and Agammemnon, they didnt try to use power and shear size of the army to defeat their opponenets….
As I said before anything along the lines of the Spartans, Trojans, even Egyptians in some aspects… its not told historically, but morally…
and people need to realise that before they jump to the conclusion that everyone is discriminative!
Hey! // October 26, 2009 at 8:07 am
Can we stop with all the views on religion? I live in a free country where people are alowed their views and such, but can people PLEASE resist the urge to put people’s religious views down? What someone believes in should be expressed in as un-biased way as possible.
As for the movie, I thought that it was good for what it was, a movie. It was entertaining, if not a bit (oh ok, really) gross. But I found it to be a lot more historically correct than The 300 Spartans. I mean, 3oo actually got the feel of the fact that life in the Ancient World, especially in Sparta, was cruel and war based. It was always violent and the way to get what you want was to fight for it. It was the race of the fittest. And that is fact.
What I disagree with is the propaganda of the beliefs and imagery that Hollywood chose for the Persians. But you have to realise that they were doing it from the Greek’s perspective, and sometimes, if not all the time, it’s biased. All of our acounts from Themopylae and the Persian Wars are from the Greeks. We only get one side of the story, and most of the time it’s the western point of view. It happens in the World Wars too, only the western, never the eastern. We can’t believe in everything History books tell us.