Last Stand of the 300: The Legendary Battle at Thermopylae

They showed this documentary on the History channel to accompany the release of the movie 300.

In contrast to the movie 300 (which was ok -see my review) this documentary is excellent. It is really a movie-like documentary with a lot of action.

Graphically it resembles a little the movie 300 since it uses a lot of computer graphics and non-realistic red looking skies. However, here Persians really look like Persians.

The content is excellent. Although I have read about the battle of Thermopylae from many different sources, I learned about things I did not know before and gained a more detail knowledge. However, like in the movie 300 here again Leonidas seems to be much younger than he really was by 480BC.

What I particularly liked was that the documentary focused both on the land battle of the Spartans and sea battle of the Athenian fleet. This really showed how brilliant and well coordinated the Allied Greek strategy was. Most other sources just focus on the land battle and pay minor attention to what happened in the flanking sea. The mastermind Themistocles is well represented and a decent length of the documentary is dedicated to him.

The Spartans and their society are accurately represented. They were not fighting for a new era of freedom which was at the time being brought forward by Athenian democracy. They were fighting to preserve their own, non-free un-democratic system and were hostile to the spread of democracy to other Greek city states. However, their last stand was not solely to seek "a beautiful death" but instead to cover the retreat of their fellow allied soldiers. Maybe, also to give an example from which the allied Greeks would stay united against the Persians for the sake of their sacrifice.

The sound tracks that accompany the scenes are excellent. However, they could have used them more often and they could have raised the volume a little too.

I enjoyed watching this documentary even more than the other two excellent documentaries on the Spartans (one from the History channel and the other by PBS).

Highly - I repeat highly recommended - to people interested in ancient history and battle strategies and warfare.

The History Channel has presented a mixed of bad and good documentaries, but the "Last Stand of the 300" is definitely one of the best that they've ever produced! I wholeheartedly agree with previous reviewers that this is an excellent and well-researched documentary about the Battle of Thermopylae--one of history's most famous last stands of all-time.

The overall presentation of this epic battle is superb. Great visuals, music, dramatic reenactments, and knowledgeable scholars provide a very enlightening and fascinating account of the events preceding and following the 3-day battle at Thermopylae. The battle itself is examined and analyzed in meticulous detail--military tactics and strategies discussed from both sides of the war (land and sea).

As reviewer, Raffaele Vardavas mentioned, this documentary does resemble a little like the movie "300," which gives it a more appealing and cinematic look. The fighting sequences--especially during the last stand--are wonderfully depicted.

The performance of the 300 Spartans--and approximately 700 Thespian soldiers and unremembered 900 Helots (Spartan slaves)--has been hailed as an outstanding example of courage against insurmountable odds. Among the Greeks, the Spartan defenders were the 'bravest of the brave' and their enormous sacrifice helped saved the future of Greece and unknowningly "altered the course of Western civilization." As one of the world's greatest and most symbolic events in history, this DVD is a must-have for all!

(Note: I have the PBS DVD of The Spartans, and also think this one is NOT as exciting to watch. Instead, the PBS presentation feels like a tedious 3-hour lecture in a history class. "Last Stand...300" is way better!!! Don't hesitate to buy).

Fantastic DVD on Thermopylae and Spartan history. Very well researched and presented. This is the ONLY DVD I have ever seen (using real people) that actually have them keep the phalanx formation. They mention the Spartan agoge and delve quit deeply into the agoge system and Spartan way of life. This is an excellent summarie of Spartan life style. It also covers the Persian side and tells us how the amazing Persian invasion came about, how the crossed the hellespont, how Xerxes was raised, etc. it also addresses all the other city states and battle tactics and takes you through to the conclusion of the battle and the ultimate conclusion of the Greek/Persian wars. (something that my Greek history teacher failed to do :() It also breifly goes over marathon which is nice. The DVD is fun and entertaining. Well worth the buy.

The Frank Miller version made a very stylish movie, but this History Channel presentation is much more historically accurate and complete. It is also very well done visually, with plenty of diagrams, maps, and details of weaponry, armor, and tactics on both sides. This is a first-rate production.

Last Stand starts at the beginning by detailing how the Greeks and Persians came to be at odds: The Greeks had supported Persian-controlled Ionian cities in rebellion, then defeated an earlier Persian expedition at Marathon. We also see how the huge Persian army got to Greece without a long detour around the Black Sea: by constructing a bridge across the Hellespont made of surplus ships tied together. We even learn about how the cables were made that secured the ships.

The major omission in '300' was that it nowhere mentioned the naval battles that were critical in keeping the Persians at bay while the Spartans fought the land battle at Thermopylae. And the Greek naval success, in turn, depended on Themistocles' having successfully pressed for the expansion of the Athenian navy, and then launching a daring attack against the much larger Persian fleet. None of that finds mention in '300', but it's all here in Last Stand. We also see what followed the Persian victory at Thermopylae, namely Greek victories at Platea and Salamis that caused the Persians to pack up and head back home for good.

Some will be annoyed by the frequent recapitulations that follow what were commercial breaks when Last Stand was broadcast, but those brief reviews are probably helpful for most viewers.

This is a DVD well worth owning.

When it comes to military films, I am very cautious about evaluations and very much a stickler for accuracy, especially as a History Professor, and having spent 25 years in the military. This is a superior coverage of the infamous Battle of Thermopylae, in that it is not encumbered with unrelated romances, political statements, or outright falsehoods.

This film reveals many aspects of Thermopylae, and adjacent battles, that those who are not students of war may not have been aware of. The film covers the backgrounds of both sets of combatants, the overall strategies, and the outcomes in understandable detail, and makes a valuable point of demonstrating the long-lived results of the battle itself, and on current governments and societies.

The History Channel has done a great service with this film, for those among us who do want to learn.

The DVD release of "Last Stand of the 300" was obviously timed to take advantage of the action film 300 (Two-Disc Special Edition) as they are shipping on the same day. While "300" was an action movie inspired by the events at Thermopylae, it is by no means a historically accurate film. Consider watching "300" for light entertainment, but if you want the facts about the battle, this is the DVD to buy. The History Channel has put together a roster of experts who walk the viewer through the events that led up to the battle beginning decades earlier. This includes events such as the Battle of Marathon and other battles that helped lead to full-scale war and the battle at Thermopylae. There is also good background information on the formation of the Athenian navy and extensive analysis and discussion about how critical the naval battle was in addition to the work done by the Spartans. The naval battles alone make for a quite an interesting story.

A good summary of Spartan culture is also put forth and is more even handed than it is worshipful. The truth is that there were aspects of Spartan culture that we would find noble and others that we would find quite distasteful. I appreciate that both were presented here to offer a true picture rather than the myth that Hollywood puts forth.

"Last Stand of the 300" moves along at a good pace, is informative, and interesting. I would certainly recommend it to anyone wanting to know more about one of the most famous and compelling battles the world has ever known. I purchased both this and "300" and certainly don't consider them an either/or proposition. They serve very different purposes and each should be considered based on their own merits.

Hats off to the makers of this documentary. Nothing beats true life; no fiction, no fantasy, no wild imaginings. Anyone with even the barest interest in history will apreciate this story of courage, heroism, betrayal, the real story behind the clash of the Spartans and the Persians at Thermoylae. Docudrama re-enactments blend seamlessly with historians talking about things like weapons and tactics; what it meant to be a Spartan or an Athenian when Greece was a collection of warring city-states. Maps show the real perspectives.
Who cares about how old Leonidas or Xerxes were? Chances are that with these ongoing slug-fests they didn't live that long anyway. I had considered going to see the movie but I skipped it when I saw this on the History Channel. It's probably the best documentary they've ever produced.
Look and learn. History does not get much more enthralling than this. Absolutely superb.

After only one viewing, I can't even begin to compile a list of the numerous factual errors and slapdash invention that characterize the tedious and shallow "Last Stand of the 300." I was wary going in of the baleful influence of the shamefully dumb "300" movie, and this History Channel (tsk-tsk) production painfully lived down to expectations.

There's little point to belabor the obvious -- that this is a tabloid version of history with a LOT of dubious assertions, colored by a movie that was based on a comic book, populated by talking heads I've never heard of (and I have shelves of scholarly books on ancient Greek history) -- except for the ubiquitous Steven Pressfield and he's a FICTION author, for pete's sake -- and garishly illustrated by some woeful computer graphics that only add another element of unreality. (Where was Thermopylae supposed to be, on a fjord in Norway in the middle of winter? I've never seen a Greek summer portrayed in so many icy blue-grey tones before, and I guess centuries of writers, mapmakers, painters, and photographers never noticed the sheer seaside cliffs of Thermopylae until the makers of "300" pointed them out.) A lot of outrageous allegations are made and accepted without question by the duly deputized historians -- that ancient Sparta was run like a sadistic US Marine boot camp, based on exaggerated and unsubstantiated tales put out by Roman-era writers centuries after the fact, is a peculiar obsession of Pressfield's, as evidenced in his sadly influential book "Gates of Fire." As if whippings and beatings were the way to forge an unyielding spirit or create the perfect warrior. Sure, just like kicking your dog repeatedly from puppyhood will produce a loyal and faithful companion.

There is a strange tendency here to mangle the pronunciations of Greek-origin words and names; make up stuff when faced with a lack of actual contemporary documentation; and substitute theory for fact without telling the viewer the difference. Then there are misplaced locations on the maps, wild speculation in place of sober analysis, and worst of all perhaps, a dreadful modern ideological perspective that puts events and attitudes in words and concepts no ancient Greek would have understood. We are subjected to a lot of bloviating about "saving democracy" when the Greeks had barely invented the word, let alone embarked on a crusade to make the world safe for it. Your Greek footsoldier at Thermopylae was there because it was his duty to his city, his clan, his gods and his personal honor -- it was not because of high-minded speechifying put into his mouth by late 20th century partisan blowhards. It's ridiculous to ascribe our attitudes and beliefs to peoples of the distant past, especially when we have so many of the Greeks' OWN thoughts and feelings from this time preserved in their own histories and literature (mostly ignored, sadly, by these filmmakers). You won't find any "we saved democracy!" talk in these accounts. Even the notion that the Spartans were somehow "professionals" is more than a bit sloppy -- they drew no pay for their service, they were not "professional" the way modern mercenaries are "professional". Spartan citizens (homoioi) were a class of landed gentry with no other designated occupation than war, much like medieval knights. They would have occupied themselves with training, hunting, politicking, and overseeing their estates. They actually spent less time making war than you might expect, conservative Sparta not eager to rock the boat of its stratified society or risk precious and limited manpower wastefully. Spartan citizens formed a more or less permanent standing militia whose training and discipline and organization and internal cohesiveness were leagues beyond what the typical Greek citizen-soldier was capable of; that was the secret of Sparta's battlefield success.

Enough. None of what I've written will sway the impassioned "300" fanboys who will insist on rewriting history to suit their own power fantasies; including producers of cable TV documentaries that cater to such tastes. For a truly well-made and balanced and engaging documentary on ancient Sparta in all its aspects -- a fascinating society badly served by this one-dimensional, third-rate effort -- I recommend to viewers "The Spartans", 180 minutes, hosted by Bettany Hughes, produced in the UK and aired and released in the US by PBS. You can get this through Amazon and it does much better service to the memory of Leonidas and his immortal Three Hundred.

I purchased 'Last Stand' to see a historically accurate depiction of the movie '300', and this DVD does deliver. It has several interesting facts, and good visuals to illustrate, so the info gets absorbed and retained easily. My only complaint is the full screen aspect ratio (cos I'm a widescreen nut, and considering it is produced in 16:9, it is not acceptable!). It is presented in a 4:3 letterbox, so you will still see a stretched image with 2 black bars on your widescreen TV. However, I feel the quality is still acceptable if watched at 'zoom' to fill up the widescreen TV. Audio is only Dolby 2.0, no surround but clear dialogue.

video - ***
audio - ***
contents - *****
rewatch - ****

Coming from both Ancient History (specializing in Greece), and the Military, this was an excellent GENERAL telling of the Persian Wars in brief. It however did not have the authoritative standard that I feel should be produced by the History Channel. Even here there is a fair amount of conjecture, and the fact that the History Channel has managed to get TRUE academics (Paul Cartledge, Arguably THE leading scholar on Ancient Sparta, University of Cambridge) AND (Donald Kagan, Who wrote the definitive 4 volume set on the Peloponnesian Wars, Retired from Yale), both have appeared in commentary on Ancient Battles, especially dealing with Ancient Greece. Makes me a bit concerned.

Some important details left out, are the fact that Pheidippides, prior to the Battle of Marathon RUNS 154 miles to Sparta from Athens to get help. The Greeks and Persians are camped for 4 days before they ensue in combat, and during that time the Persian Cavalry HAD been offloaded from the ships. This production does not even mention Pheidippides going to Sparta, he also runs back, in 2 days; takes part in the Battle of Marathon.

Also the Athenians defeat a small part of the Persian Force as the main body had sailed away, to Piraeus to land and invade from. The entire Athenian Army marches all night the 27 odd miles to arrive prior to the Second Persian landing, which does not happen and they go home. This is gross negligence for academics to ignore this, and it is why I question the use of lesser known people for this particular production.

There were some opinions expressed by scholars here that I did not particularly agree with though. The most important being the comparison of the Spartan Force to Special Forces and Delta Force. Not so. The Spartans are undoubtedly the best fighting force of Ancient Greece at the time, but they are heavy INFANTRY. They are not even close to any kind of special operations unit in the modern sense. So for me this is a nice compliment, and an argument can be made they were the `closest thing' but authoritatively they are nothing like special operations in training or tactics.

They do not discuss any of the battlefield tactics of the land battle of Platea, which I found disappointing. Herodotus has some interesting things to say about it. As to Thermopylae it would have been a nice addition to see some aerial footage of the landscape as it is now, even though it has changed show me the real stuff to give me an actual sense.

In this I actually purchased a very expensive copy of Empires at War [Three Volumes]: A Chronological Encyclopedia. What a let down. Thermopylae is not even in the book, nor is Salamis, Platea or any of the The Peloponnesian War. Yet the volume set is touted as the credibility of the scholar on this special who gets the most airtime, and after seeing it all, I am not convinced he should be considered a subject matter expert of the Persian Wars.

If you have academic background in the field of Ancient History, or are looking for an authoritative account, this only serves as an adequate introductory. It has almost as many accuracy problems as 300. Thermopylae: The Battle That Changed the World appears on the History Channel's Decisive Battles of the Ancient World, for both the Battle of Marathon and Thermopylae, which cover the battles much more effectively, and had they been smart enough to combine that with the production or do a re-shoot, what a difference it would have made.

The Battle of Salamis: The Naval Encounter that Saved Greece -- and Western Civilization (author of Salamis, the battle that saved western civilization, Professor at Cornell) is one of the leading Ancient Naval Warfare scholars. Also featured in the History Channel's Decisive Battles of the Ancient World. Donald Kagan, now in his 80's is featured throughout the same series, I would much rather have seen these scholars used versus a crew of qausi military historians who don't seem to know as much as they should to narrate this type of production.

I did like the use of Steven Pressfield, and recommend his "Gates of Fire: An Epic Novel of the Battle of Thermopylae" novel of Thermopylae. He is an excellent story teller, and did such fantastic research that the Greek city of Sparta, made him an honorary citizen a few years ago. The historical backdrop of his novel is incredibly detailed.

So that is my take. I am about to begin my graduate work in Ancient Greek History, so I feel like I know something about it. There are places where Herodotus is translated in ways that are not entirely agreed on by all scholars, and it is presented as if that is the only translation, I am not convinced that the scholars presented in the production have the language skills to do research in either Ancient Greek or Latin themselves, and it felt far too "American" of a production. I would have loved to see one of the prominent Greek Professors from Greece, and at least a recognizable British Classicist.