The film plus omits an alternate section of Spartan community, named the key role one homosexuality starred inside it

He along with derides the fresh new Athenians since the ‘boy-lovers’, easily neglecting that all out-of his troops could have fell to the you to same classification

Spartan boys was indeed, like other Greek boys, likely to mode homosexual dating that have elderly guys, and you may Xenophon states you to definitely Spartan troops took men people, while they disliked the practice of certain teams, eg Thebes, just who prepared their elite armed forces around sets from couples. Having Greeks, encouraging sexual relationships anywhere between soldiers implied which they manage struggle more challenging in order to charm and you may cover the couples.

Leonidas is obviously upright; the guy will get specific gentle cushion-talk to Gorgo and you may thinks about their human anatomy as he contemplates submitting in order to Xerxes (just who demonstrably got their nut to your a long time ago and you can never ever appeared right back).

Another way your flick significantly betrays new Spartan heart was in its remedy for Dilios (David Wenham), exactly who loses a watch fighting and that is delivered back so you’re able to Sparta before the finally race. He’s really the only survivor (away from a battle famous correctly for its shortage of survivors) and also the narrator of your own flick. From the film’s terms, his dismissal in the military allows your to deliver Leonidas’ like in order to Gorgo and, a year later, to lead Cres women for marriage a massive armed forces away from Greeks so you’re able to victory along side Persians from the race from Plataea.

However, it ignores the reality that Spartan society experienced making an effective competition otherwise located in beat an indication of full cowardice and you can moral worthlessness. The fresh poetry out-of Tyrtaeus of Sparta dwells thoroughly into the need for perishing inside battle, going as much as to spell it out it as “beautiful” (such, at the least, is one way to change the new Greek agathos); men exactly who flees competition will suffer social humiliation and you will poverty and get lost once demise. Plutarch accounts well-known anecdotes in which Spartan moms and dads refuse sons just who endure fights where Sparta is beaten; in a lot of instances new moms and dads wade in terms of to help you eliminate cowardly sons. According to him, Spartan moms and dads tell their departing sons to return along with their safeguards (that is, victorious) otherwise on it (that is, being continued this new secure due to the fact an extender); going back without having any secure was a sign your people tossed out their secure very he could flee quicker.

As opposed to getting offered order to be able to avenge brand new Spartan deceased, Dilios might have been ridiculed, along with his very own mommy will have tried to destroy your. Together with movie knows about it; Gorgo tells Leonidas to return together with shield or with it. Very once again, the film produces a show off saying something after which doing things different when adopting the legislation manage disrupt the new tale.

But Zack Snyder most likely figured that offering a band of manly beefcake warriors groping one another throughout vacation trips from the attacking manage maybe not enjoy so well for the lover-boys and you may young adults their flick are intended for, therefore alternatively he overlooks can now offers rather mostly chaste and presumably heterosexual guys

Indeed, Dilios are a genuine individual. His genuine name are Aristodemus, and he and something man, Eurytus, sustained eyes problems during the Thermopylae (Herodotus calls it a condition of one’s attention, however, possibly he setting an injury). Leonidas bought them to return home, but Eurytus refuted and you can fought whether or not blind. Aristodemus, yet not, obeyed Leonidas; consequently, Herodotus tells us he was labeled a good coward, and guys refused to consult with him otherwise give your a good white for his flames. A 3rd Spartan, Pantites, along with endured as the he had been delivered somewhere as the an excellent messenger and did not go back to Thermopylae in time. He hanged himself.