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Or rather, the fanboys.
Alright, I get it, 300 was a cool movie with some awesome action scenes, however, that does not make it reality. I rather like the movie infact, but that's because I'm smart enough to realise it's an adaptation of a graphic novel based on a fictional interpretation of real events. IT IS NOT A BLOODY DOCUMENTARY!!!
1. Spartans, along with ALL other Hoplites (except for the poor oes who wore no armour but most definately wore clothing), wore armor, head, torso and greaves, the only thing that differs is the torso armor, either linothorax or plate armour. They did not strut around naked, or nearly naked. You only ever see naked hoplites on wall carvings or Vases, this was just an ancient method of making their men seem more hardcore, it didn't actually happen.
2. The spartans, like all hoplites, stayed in formation, they didn't run out into single combat eveyr chance they got, why? The Hoplon (Shield) These, things, were, fucking, HUGE! I'm talking at least 3 feet in radius, maybe even 4 feet, and they did cover you from your knee, to your neck, the only problem was...they only covered your left half, leaving your spear arm side completely exposed, You stay in formation, you live, you break formation, you die, that's pretty much the essentials with a Greek Phalanx formation. You cover the guy to the left of you with half your shield, the guy to the right does the same to you.
3. Speaking of shields, being 3 feet at least in diameter, wooden shields covered with bronze (unlike in 300 where they were solid bronze) they weren't the most light or easily wielded things out there, so there were only 3 things you could really do with them, 1. Hold them in front of you to protect you. 2. Push forward with them, either slowly or in a quick shield bash. 3. Cock your arm back and then throw it forward, almost like throwing a discus (Which incedentally makes the shield absoloutely lethal, if it hits you in the chest when someone does that, it will probably kill you, if it hits above the chest, it absoloutely will kill you) The only problem is, when you do that, you leave yourself ENTIRELY open, which is a silly thing to do, as, while you may be able to fend off a spear strike when in formation, if you're out solo, you're screwed, as the Doru, being 3 yards long, isn't really something designed to parry or even block (hence the big fricking shield you have!)
And for you fanboys about to go off on how awesome spartans were.. may I remind you, at the battle of Thermopylae, it wasn't just the Spartans, nor the handfull of Thebans. At the start of the battle there were something on the order of between 5,200 and 7,400 greeks in total, the Spartans being only 300 of those numbers, and at the end of the battle, there were between 2000 and 3000 Greeks holding the pass, not just the 300 Spartans.
Sorry about the longass rant folks, but damn I just had to get that off my chest after being bugged for a few hours by several 300 fanboys.
Alright, I get it, 300 was a cool movie with some awesome action scenes, however, that does not make it reality. I rather like the movie infact, but that's because I'm smart enough to realise it's an adaptation of a graphic novel based on a fictional interpretation of real events. IT IS NOT A BLOODY DOCUMENTARY!!!
1. Spartans, along with ALL other Hoplites (except for the poor oes who wore no armour but most definately wore clothing), wore armor, head, torso and greaves, the only thing that differs is the torso armor, either linothorax or plate armour. They did not strut around naked, or nearly naked. You only ever see naked hoplites on wall carvings or Vases, this was just an ancient method of making their men seem more hardcore, it didn't actually happen.
2. The spartans, like all hoplites, stayed in formation, they didn't run out into single combat eveyr chance they got, why? The Hoplon (Shield) These, things, were, fucking, HUGE! I'm talking at least 3 feet in radius, maybe even 4 feet, and they did cover you from your knee, to your neck, the only problem was...they only covered your left half, leaving your spear arm side completely exposed, You stay in formation, you live, you break formation, you die, that's pretty much the essentials with a Greek Phalanx formation. You cover the guy to the left of you with half your shield, the guy to the right does the same to you.
3. Speaking of shields, being 3 feet at least in diameter, wooden shields covered with bronze (unlike in 300 where they were solid bronze) they weren't the most light or easily wielded things out there, so there were only 3 things you could really do with them, 1. Hold them in front of you to protect you. 2. Push forward with them, either slowly or in a quick shield bash. 3. Cock your arm back and then throw it forward, almost like throwing a discus (Which incedentally makes the shield absoloutely lethal, if it hits you in the chest when someone does that, it will probably kill you, if it hits above the chest, it absoloutely will kill you) The only problem is, when you do that, you leave yourself ENTIRELY open, which is a silly thing to do, as, while you may be able to fend off a spear strike when in formation, if you're out solo, you're screwed, as the Doru, being 3 yards long, isn't really something designed to parry or even block (hence the big fricking shield you have!)
And for you fanboys about to go off on how awesome spartans were.. may I remind you, at the battle of Thermopylae, it wasn't just the Spartans, nor the handfull of Thebans. At the start of the battle there were something on the order of between 5,200 and 7,400 greeks in total, the Spartans being only 300 of those numbers, and at the end of the battle, there were between 2000 and 3000 Greeks holding the pass, not just the 300 Spartans.
Sorry about the longass rant folks, but damn I just had to get that off my chest after being bugged for a few hours by several 300 fanboys.
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