I remember seeing 300 twice when it first came out. It was that good. Not awards type good but a fun brainless action flick. I remember hearing a friend said that he had a wargasm everytime he watched it. And hey, the memes that followed weren’t so bad either.
One of the frequent complaints I hear about the movie is how King Leonidas turned down the offer of the disfigured Ephialtes to fight. If we recall, Leonidas explained that the Spartans rely on their phalanx formation to fight effectively.
One weak link could bring the whole formation down. And unfortunately the hunchback Ephialtes could barely lift his bronze shield to qualify. Leonidas then suggested that if he really wanted to pitch in, he can dispose of the dead or bring water to the soldiers. You know, typical servant chores.
I remember thinking he made a lot of good points. And he treated Ephialtes kindly, unlike his rude captain. I didn’t think anymore of it. Then when the fighting began, we finally saw the vaunted phalanx in action, and it was every bit as awesome as I imagined.
Too many ancient war films tend to take certain liberties in the fight scenes, but in ancient times you can bet your Spartan loincloths that most of the land battles were simply epic pushing matches between two armies.
Whoever breaks first loses. Anyway, back to the main point. Everything was going as planned. The Spartans were doling efficient punishment on the clueless Persian foot soldiers who just ran right into their spears. Then something incredible happened.
The Spartans broke formation and just went at it one on one with the Persians.
It all made for wonderful scenes and showcased how lethal the Spartans are in single combat. But if there was going to be sorties like this, then why couldn’t they just keep Ephialtes in reserve then let him loose when the phalanx fighting was over? Surely an extra soldier on their side couldn’t hurt right? Even if he managed to kill a single Persian soldier, that’s one less threat on one of the 300.
Well here’s my take on it, I think Leonidas didn’t let Ephialtes join in on the fighting because of morale. Let’s remember that Spartan babies who were deformed or weak were left to die, while the ones who lived were trained since birth to be the perfect killing machines. The best of the best.
Imagine if Leonidas allowed Ephialtes amongst their ranks, you can certainly believe that a lot of the soldiers will not be happy. Just take the captain’s reaction at the mere sight of Ephialtes when he first saw him, and then you’re going to tell him that this creature is going to fight by his side?
Ephialtes was lucky enough that Leonidas let him go after confessing that his parents broke Spartan law by deserting and raising him, even though their laws plainly stated that he should have been put to death.
I think Leonidas handled Ephialtes’s request with tact. He was bounded by his country’s laws and twisted customs but he still treated the disfigured man with grace.
News
Reacher’s Alan Ritchson on the effects training for the show had on his body
Reacher star Alan Ritchson has talked about the effects that getting so jacked for the show has had on his body. Reacher star says show “f**king wrecked” his bodyAmazon Prime The actor went on an intense training regime to achieve the physique of…
10 Reasons Why Reacher’s Alan Ritchson Would Be The DCU’s Perfect Batman
Alan Ritchson is one of the leading fancasts to play Batman in James Gunn’s DC Universe, and a few factors explain why the casting would work. Custom image by Debanjana Chowdhury SUMMARY Alan Ritchson’s experience with DC heroes like Aquaman and…
Alan Ritchson Is the Ultimate Dad as He Tells a Road Trip Vomit Story
The ‘Reacher’ star gleaned some parenting wisdom from a very messy moment. ALAN RITCHSON MIGHT have become synonymous with the character of Jack Reacher in the pop culture sphere, but at home he’s better known as “Dad,” and is far more likely…
Reacher Season 3 Adds New Cast Members & Reveals Exciting New Character Details
The third season of Reacher has added several cast members, with one character sounding like an evil version of Alan Ritchson’s Jack Reacher. Prime Video SUMMARY Amazon’s Reacher season 3 welcomes new cast members. Actor Brian Tee joins as Quinn, a ruthless…
“Nobody really cares about acting”: Alan Ritchson’s Dismissive Attitude Cost Him 2 of the Biggest Franchise Roles in History
Alan Ritchson’s carelessness cost him Thor, while an unjustified age concern led to missing The Hunger Games SUMMARY Alan Ritchson’s fans feel let down by his missed chances in major roles in Thor and The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. Ritchson’s…
Alan Ritchson’s Quest To Achieve Reacher’s Proper Weight Sent Him To The Hospital
By now, any fan of Jack Reacher will know the story of how Prime Video’s “Reacher” series came to be. Once the Tom Cruise-led films were out of the way, fans demanded a more physically imposing leading man, which they…
End of content
No more pages to load