by Matthew Huddleston

Created on: June 01, 2009

300 Entertains as the Greeks Did

Homer's Odyssey is the literary benchmark of the Heroic Quest. The epic poem, now commonly found in American high school textbooks, is also a window into the classrooms (or relative equivalent) of ancient Greece, circa 1000 B.C. The epic poem chronicling King Odysseus' fateful return from the Trojan War (see the prequel, The Illiad) not only defines what it means to be a hero, but also explains religious faith and practices, geography, and basic cultural conventions of the Greek people. To understand the power of this story telling format, realize that the Odyssey was not written into words for centuries after the poem began to be told. Instead, it is part of the oral tradition of story telling. Poets, philosophers, educators, entertainers, would sing the epic adventure from memory to rapt audiences in villages and impromptu theaters. The listeners would in turn, memorize the story and pass it on. How much embellishment was developed before the current written source material was recorded is hard to say. What is clear is that the art of the story, considered both fiction and a viable learning tool, is inherently Greek.

The story telling tradition continues today in the form of film. 300struck a nerve in audiences and critics because of the film's unique visuals and unabashed blending of history with fantasy. However, the film itself is a throwback to the oral tradition of the ancient Greeks. 300 is the Battle at Thermopylae that the Greek children (and especially children of Spartans) would have learned from their storytellers. In that respect, if audiences can forgo for the moment that not everything is politically partisan, or some twisted reflection of modern society, and simply enjoy a glimpse back to the foundations of the story telling tradition, 300 excels.

300 is the story of Spartan heroes, fighting for the first time to unify the loose affiliations of tribal Greece against the threat of invasion by the Persian Empire. In terms of historical facts, the research is available to expand on these basic tenants. Indeed, Ancient Greek studies have enjoyed a renewed period of interest of late, which allows for books like Gates of Fire and comics turned films like 300. However, where 300 succeeds is in telling the story the way those Greeks would have told it. In fact, the film is framed as a story being told to Spartan soldiers before their final vanquishing of the Persian armies.

The Persians are portrayed as faceless monsters, driving larger monstrosities before them, led by a false god. Exactly the picture of evil you would believe of foreign invaders threatening everything you know. In true Homeric tradition, King Leonidas is portrayed as the fiery example of the Greek man, his wife honorific of the strong willed Penelope. The gods have determined his fate, yet he fights on, just as Odysseus teaches Greeks to make the most of their daily lives in the face of a religion that teaches pre-destiny. The locations are real, but the characters, and monsters, are exaggerated to enhance the passion of the story. Violence abounds, but is paced with scenes of Greek cultural norms, such as love, family, honor, the warrior tradition, among others. All of these elements are reflective of the Greek oral tradition found in epic poems like the Odyssey. What is learned is that tradition is not lost to history, but is being revitalized in cinema. All that is required is the realization that the now is not always the focus.

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