History Film / The300Spartans

** Leonidas leads a night raid into Xerxes's camp to hopefully take him out at once, and at least delay the upcoming battle proper. Xerxes survives because he isn't in his tent at the time, and the Greeks gain one more day to finish rebuilding a wall.

* DefiantToTheEnd: King Leonidas and his 300 Spartansf. Especially after Leonidas dies, and they refuse Xerxes' offer to spare their lives as long as they hand over Leonidas's body.

* DefiantToTheEnd: King Leonidas and his 300 Spartans. Especially after Leonidas dies, and they refuse Xerxes' offer to spare their lives as long as they hand over Leonidas's body.

* KillEmAll: All of the remaining Greeks at Thermopylae at the end of the battle.

* BadassBeard: Several Greek and Persian leaders including Xerxes have beards, but notably not Leonidas who has stubble at best. Most of the extras don't have beards either.

[[quoteright:275:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rsz_the-300-spartans_7196.jpg]]

''The 300 Spartans'' is a 1962 film depicting [[UsefulNotes/GrecoPersianWars The Battle of Thermopylae]]. It stars Richard Egan as Leonidas, Creator/RalphRichardson as Themistocles and David Farrar as Xerxes.

When it was released many saw it as an allegory for the UsefulNotes/ColdWar. Nowadays it's probably best known as part of the inspiration for Creator/FrankMiller's famous graphic novel ''300'' and its subsequent [[Film/ThreeHundred film adaptation]].

* BadassBeard: Several Greek and Persian leaders including Xerxes have beards, but notably not Leonidas. Most of the extras don't have beards either.

* TheWomenAreSafeWithUs: {{Averted|Trope}}; King Xerxes orders that his soldiers on the campaign be given one last night with their wives, then the women are to be killed. Yes, women from ''his'' side. "There are plenty of women in Athens and Sparta and I want my men to be eager to get at them". [[MoralEventHorizon Perhaps the audience wasn't quite sure he was the villain of the movie yet.]] How the Spartans treated the enemy women is of course not discussed.

* RealityIsUnrealistic: The Persians are played by [[FakeNationality American and Greek]] actors and extras. But the Persian people were close relatives of the Europeans (being the original and true "Aryans"), the majority of modern Iran's population could be considered "white", and most people there identify as such.

''The 300 Spartans'' is a 1962 film depicting [[UsefulNotes/GrecoPersianWars The Battle of Thermopylae]]. It stars Richard Egan as Leonidas, Ralph Richardson as Themistocles and David Farrar as Xerxes.

* ShownTheirWork: The film shows a fair few of the historical figures involved besides the most famous ones, Leonidas and Xerxes, including: Queen Gorgo, Leonidas's wife; Themistocles of Athens; King Demaratus of Thespiae who stayed with the Spartans in their last stand; and Leotychidas, Sparta's ''other'' king, as they had a two-king system. On the Persian side: Generals Mardonius and Hydarnes; Queen Artemisia of Caria, a Greek ally of Xerxes; and Demaratus, an exiled Spartan king who became Xerxes' advisor.

** The film doesn't present phalanx fighting any more accurately than ''300'' does. The Spartans form up in long thin lines with larger gaps in between ranks instead of a dense, compressed shield wall. They ''do'' form a dense flying wedge at the end, but that's different.

* ObstructiveZealot: Leonidas only brought his bodyguard to Thermopylae. The Spartan Ephors (priests) prevent the rest of the Spartan army from reinforcing them because of a religious festival. But unlike ''300'' there's no suggestion they were bribed by the Persians.

When it was released many saw it as an allegory for the Cold War. Nowadays it's probably best known as part of the inspiration for Creator/FrankMiller's famous graphic novel ''300'' and its subsequent [[Film/ThreeHundred film adaptation]].

-->'''Leonidas:''' Spartans! Orders for the day: Our numbers are too few to hold the pass, so we shall attack and kill Xerxes.

-->'''Leonidas:''' ''Molon labe.'' [[BringIt Come and take them.]]

''The 300 Spartans'' is a 1962 film depicting The Battle of Thermopylae. It stars Richard Egan as Leonidas, Ralph Richardson as Themistocles and David Farrar as Xerxes.

* BadassArmy: The Spartans, obviously

* TheHeroDies: [[spoiler:King Leonidas and his 300 Spartans, just like it happened in the real battle.]]

* RealityIsUnrealistic: The Persian people were close relatives of the Europeans, the majority of modern Iran's population could be considered "white" and most people there identify as such.

* SwordAndSandal

* MonochromeCasting: Everyone in this movie is white, despite the fact that the Persians would have been Middle Eastern at the very least, and included members of many nations. The leader of the Immortals is even blond-and-blue.

* TheWomenAreSafeWithUs: {{Averted|Trope}}; King Xerxes order that his soldiers on the campaign be given one last night with their wives, then the women are to be killed. Yes, women from ''his'' side. "There are plenty of women in Athens and Sparta and I want my men to be eager to get at them". [[MoralEventHorizon Perhaps the audience wasn't quite sure he was the villain of the movie yet.]] How the Spartans treated the enemy women is of course not discussed.

* {{Badass}}: King Leonidas

'''''The 300 Spartans''''' is a 1962 film depicting The Battle of Thermopylae. It stars Richard Egan as Leonidas, Ralph Richardson as Themistocles and David Farrar as Xerxes.