Is The Hot Gates real?

Thermopylae, also known as Hot Gates, is a small region in Central Greece, carrying the legend and valor of a great and touching moment in Greek history.

Do the hot gates exist?

Located at 136 km northwest of Athens, in the municipality of Lamia, the narrow pass of Thermopylae (Hot Gates) derives its name from the hot sulfur springs in the area.

Is the story of 300 Spartans true?

It is true there were only 300 Spartan soldiers at the battle of Thermopylae but they were not alone, as the Spartans had formed an alliance with other Greek states. It is thought that the number of ancient Greeks was closer to 7,000. The size of the Persian army is disputed.

How long did the Spartans hold the Hot Gates?

He is the author of the History in an Afternoon textbook series. One of the all-time great stories of ancient history involved the defense of Thermopylae, when a narrow pass was held for three days against a vast Persian army by just 300 Spartans, 299 of whom perished.

Why is it called Hot Gates?

In antiquity its cliffs were by the sea, but silting has widened the distance to more than a mile. Its name, meaning “hot gates,” is derived from its hot sulfur springs. Thermopýles (Thermopylae), central Greece.

Episode 21: The Hot Gates

Is the story of Leonidas true?

530-480 B.C.) was a king of the city-state of Sparta from about 490 B.C. until his death at the Battle of Thermopylae against the Persian army in 480 B.C. Although Leonidas lost the battle, his death at Thermopylae was seen as a heroic sacrifice because he sent most of his army away when he realized that the Persians ...

Was the Battle of 300 real?

Based on the homonymous comic book by Frank Miller, the movie earned a huge fan base around the world. 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.

Are the immortals in 300 real?

The Ten Thousand Immortals were the elite force of the Persian army of the Achaemenid Empire (c. 550-330 BCE). They formed the king's personal bodyguard and were also considered the shock troops of the infantry in Persian warfare. They are among the most famous fighting forces of the ancient world.

How much of the movie 300 is true?

The film 300 is an adaptation of a comic book based on historical events, but it makes no pretense of being historically accurate. However, the battle of Thermopylae was a real event, with 300 Spartans at the center of the story.

Did any of the 300 Spartans survive?

Yet there was another man, one of Leonidas' 300, namely Aristodemus of Sparta, the only survivor of the epic battle. According to the historian Herodotus, there were only three men out of Leonidas' elite army who did not fight in the epic battle.

Does the city of Sparta still exist?

Sparta (Greek: Σπάρτη Spárti [ˈsparti]) is a town 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.

How tall is the average Spartan?

Depending on the type of Spartan the height of a Spartan II (fully armored) is 7'2 feet tall, a Spartan III (Fully armored) is 6'10 feet tall, and a Spartan IV (Fully armored) stands on average a little shorter at 6'9, all while boasting a reinforced endoskeleton.

How tall is Xerxes?

Xerxes, the king of Persia, is portrayed as seven feet tall. Actor Rodrigo Santoro is only 6'2". Not too shabby, but the other 10 inches are special effects.

Does the lion of Leonidas still exist?

The Quarry - The Loop

The rock lion was built on the site of Leonidas' death to commemorate the Spartan king, whose name means "Son of the Lion", but neither the lion nor the epigram survive in the present day.

Can you visit where the 300 Spartans died?

Anyone can visit the site today. As this is a battlefield site and not a large archaeological site, it won't take long to see and explore the site (no more than 30 minutes). The main attraction is the Memorial of Leonidas and the 300 Spartans together with a huge bronze statue of King Leonidas.

Who betrayed Sparta?

In the 1962 film The 300 Spartans, Ephialtes was portrayed by Kieron Moore and is depicted as a loner who worked on a goat farm near Thermopylae. He betrays the Spartans to the Persians out of greed for riches, and, it is implied, unrequited love for a Spartan girl named Ellas.

What did Spartan armor really look like?

Spartan hoplites were often depicted bearing a transverse horsehair crest on their helmet, which was possibly used to identify officers. During the Archaic period, Spartans were armored with flanged bronze cuirasses, leg greaves, and a helmet, often of the Corinthian type.

How did the Spartans fall?

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.

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.

Did the Immortals actually exist?

The Persian Immortals were an elite military unit in operation for around two centuries, almost the entire lifespan of the Achaemenid empire, which ran from 550 BC until 330 BC.

Did Sparta fall to Persia?

The Persian assault began on August 17 and lasted for three days before the Persians finally killed the 298 Spartans who had defended the mountain pass with another small Greek contingent of roughly three to four thousand men.

Did Spartans throw babies off cliffs?

Spartans had to prove their fitness even as infants.

The ancient historian Plutarch claimed these “ill-born” Spartan babies were tossed into a chasm at the foot of Mount Taygetus, but most historians now dismiss this as a myth.

Who defeated the Spartans?

The decisive defeat of the Spartan hoplite army by the armed forces of Thebes at the battle of Leuctra in 371 B.C. ended an epoch in Greek military history and permanently altered the Greek balance of power.

How good were Spartans fighting?

They Were Able to Outfight Larger Armies

The Spartans were especially known for being so effective at fighting, that they were able to fight well against armies that were much larger in size than them. One of the most famous instances of this was when a few hundred Spartan soldiers fought in the battle of Thermopylae.