Who was the traitor of Leonidas?

Leonidas asks him to support his brethren by bringing the wounded water and clearing the dead from the battleground. In anger, Ephialtes swears to prove his parents and Leonidas wrong as he betrays them by revealing to Xerxes a hidden route that the Persian army could use to outflank the Greek defenders.

Who actually betrayed the Spartans?

The historical Ephialtes of Trachis, whose name is synonymous in Greek with "nightmare," was a Malian Greek who betrayed the Spartans for Persian gold, showing them a secret path in the mountains through which a contingent of archers were able to flank and ultimately destroy the Spartans.

Who is the traitor hunchback in the 300?

Ephialtes was a deformed hunchback in exile whose parents ran away from Sparta. Hoping to redeem his father's honor, he volunteered to Leonidas to join the army, but Ephialtes was too weak to raise his shield high enough so Leonidas rejected him.

Who cut Leonidas head?

Xerxes himself went down to inspect the battlefield. He cut off the head of Leonidas and impaled it on a spear for his army to see. The Spartans were mortal and could be killed, but their last stand had given the Persians a taste of what would come.

Who is the main villain in 300?

In a larger than life battle film like "300," the villain has to be extra-larger than life. Xerxes, the king of Persia, is portrayed as seven feet tall. Actor Rodrigo Santoro is only 6'2".

the traitor

What did Leonidas say before he died?

No retreat, no surrender; that is Spartan law. And by Spartan law we will stand and fight... and die.

Who finally defeated Sparta?

Battle of Leuctra, (6 July 371 bce). Fought in Boeotia, Greece, the Battle of Leuctra made Thebes the leading military power among the Greek city-states, ending the long dominance of Sparta.

Why did Leonidas tell Ephialtes to live forever?

Leonidas gives him a blessing to live forever, which functions as an insult since a Spartan's greatest honor is to die in battle.

Who kills Ephialtes?

Aristotle says that, shortly after reforming the Court of the Areopagus, Ephialtes was kidnapped and murdered by Aristodicus of Tanagra (Aristot. Ath. Pol. 25.2; also Plut.

What happened to Leonidas after his death?

King Leonidas' death, along with 300 other Spartan soldiers, came from the bows and arrows of Persian archers, who fought the Spartan army for his body. The Persian army brought Leonidas' body to Xerxes, who had him first beheaded and mounted his head on a stake and then crucified the rest of his body.

Why did Ephialtes betray Sparta?

Ephialtes betrayed the Spartans due to his own greed. Ephialtes expected that the Persians, who had a stronger military, would triumph over the Spartans and hence decided to assist them in defeating his own people with the expectation of being rewarded with a military uniform by the Persian leader, Xerxes....

What is Sparta called now?

Sparta (Greek: Σπάρτη Spárti [ˈsparti]) is a city and municipality in Laconia, Greece. It lies at the site of ancient Sparta. The municipality was merged with six nearby municipalities in 2011, for a total population (as of 2011) of 35,259, of whom 17,408 lived in the city.

What was the Spartan downfall?

Spartan political independence was put to an end when it was eventually forced into the Achaean League after its defeat in the decisive Laconian War by a coalition of other Greek city-states and Rome, and the resultant overthrow of its final king Nabis, in 192 BC.

Were there black Spartans?

By the mid-19th century, the Black Spartans numbered between 1,000 and 6,000 women, about a third of the entire Dahomey army. Under King Gezo's rule, female troops lived in his compound and were kept well supplied with tobacco, alcohol and slaves–as many as 50 to each warrior.

Does the Spartan bloodline still exist?

The Maniots (inhabitants of the Mani Peninsula) therefore are considered direct descendants of Spartans. Almost three thousand years ago, Greece consisted of multiple 'polis' that were mostly controlled by Sparta. Spartans, as depicted in the 2006 movie 300, were highly trained fighters.

Does Sparta still exist?

The ancient city-state, which walked the line between legend and history, is often assumed to have fallen off the map at some point in antiquity. In fact, Sparta—or at least Spartans—have continued to endure until the present day, inhabiting the wild, mountainous province of Laconia in the southern Peloponnese.

What was Leonidas's famous line?

King Leonidas: The world will know that free men stood against a tyrant, that few stood against many, and before this battle was over, even a god-king can bleed.

How did Spartans treat their wives?

In preparation for marriage, Spartan women had their heads shaved; they kept their hair short after they wed. Married couples typically lived apart, as men under 30 were required to continue residing in communal barracks. In order to see their wives during this time, husbands had to sneak away at night.

How long did Spartans last?

The History of Sparta describes the history of the ancient Doric Greek city-state known as Sparta from its beginning in the legendary period to its incorporation into the Achaean League under the late Roman Republic, as Allied State, in 146 BC, a period of roughly 1000 years.

Why did Sparta only send 300?

The Spartans may have only sent 300, not because of the Olympics or Carneia, but because they didn't wish to defend so far north, although it does seem unusual they would have sent a King if so.

Why did Sparta go extinct?

Although the Spartans were often held up as an example of military prowess and strength, they were not invincible. In fact, the Spartan state was eventually brought down by a number of factors, including internal strife, economic decline, and foreign invasion.

Why were Spartans so strong?

A lifelong dedication to military discipline, service, and precision gave this kingdom a strong advantage over other Greek civilizations, allowing Sparta to dominate Greece in the fifth century B.C.

What was the Spartans motto?

Immediately below the shield are the words of the Spartan Motto, “Palmam Qui Meruit Ferat”….”Let He Who Merits the Palm Possess It”; and below that are two intertwined palm branches that also signify the merit of the Spartan Krewe.

Was the Battle of 300 real?

Like the comic book, the “300” takes inspirations from the real Battle of Thermopylae and the events that took place in the year of 480 BC in ancient Greece.