Foxy,

I've seen the first ten minutes of both those '300' films several times. But I just can't get past the historic errors in the films and the cavalier way the writers/directors treat well know facts.

There aren't enough blood pressure tablets in the state to get me through a entire film (grin!). I once sat down with a pad to keep track of the errors on the basis that it'd make a good essay. But after I'd filled a full page in the first scene, I gave up.

For example, the second film has Themistocles shooting Darius with a bow and arrow. Which is quite a feat since Darius was 4000 kms away and no self-respecting Greek soldier would use an arrow, considering it to be a dishonourable way to fight.

If you're interested in the nature of hoplite warfare there's an excellent book called 'A Storm of Spears: Understanding the Greek Hoplite at War' written by an Australian which gives a real flavour to the nature of such battles. The first half of the book is entirely technical and can be skipped but the second half shows just what it was like to be eight rows deep in a phalanx.

My wife refuses to watch historic movies with me because I constantly point out the anomalies and errors. Don't get me started on Ben Hur or the 1960 Spartacus. And never watch the 'History Channel' .

There's a film called '300 Spartans' made in 1962 which is vastly better from an historical accuracy point of view.

Dear Josephus,

Australia is a free country, and you are entitled to hold whatever superstition you wish to hold. In a free country one can hold whatever views one wishes as long as one observes the law. The existence of any deity or deities is a matter of opinion not of fact.

mhaze,

Thank You for the book and film references. I'll
definitely follow them up.

My husband also annoys the heck out of me by pointing
out faults in things - be it films, architecture, or
other genres - including at times what I wear. He simply
can't go and watch a movie - without finding fault.
Whereas I'm a bit of a dreamer - I get lost in the
fantasy.

cont'd ...

There's so many films that I've enjoyed.

The Ten Commandments, Ben Hur (Charlton Heston),
Spartacus (Kirk Douglas), Alexander The Great
(Richard Burton), Julius Caesar (Marlon Brando),
Quo Vadis (Robert Taylor), and even Cleopatra
(Liz Taylor). I've managed to get a hold of many
that now are no longer available.

David F's comments on the founding of the US (at least at the time of the Declaration of Independence) and the Epicurean Lucritus and Spinoza's Inhuman God cautiously probably has some basis though perhaps not in the same way that we think. These ideas possibly influenced John Locke and John Stuart Mill.

Often when comparing modern with the ancient we need to correct for perspicacity.

In antiquity there was disagreement between Epicurean's and Stoic's- I favour the Stoic's.

I'm sure even the Stoic philosophy has items I would disagree with but Letters to Lucilius seems to be synonymous with manliness in a sense.

Perhaps Epicurean and Stoic thought could be considered as the female and male archetypes of Western society.

Epicureanism perhaps represents the Consumer Age too- echoing Edward Bernay's (nephew of Sigmund Freud) in his "sell to the emotions" principle- a principle which apparently appalled his uncle. BBC Journalist Adam Curtis talks about this in his series on "Happiness Machines". It seems many European psychologist's started coming to America around the 1930's.

It's interesting that David F seems to believe in the God of Spinoza (the Dutch-Hebrew heretic)- Einstein said the same apparently. I find Spinoza interesting- but I don't know much.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucretius

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baruch_Spinoza

Happiness Machines: Directed by Adam Curtis. With Adam Curtis, Sigmund Freud, Edward Bernays, Alfred Pritz. The first episode of the series introduces us to Edward Bernays, Sigmund Freud's American nephew, and his groundbreaking ideas on population control.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1139168

Apparently Matthew Stewart studied under the prestigious Sachs Foundation Scholarship.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_Stewart_(philosopher)

This looks interesting...

http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2006/06/the-management-myth/304883/