The 300 Spartans (1962)

In the crucible of 480 BC, the Persian King Xerxes, driven by his father's thwarted ambition, is set on expanding his Achaemenid slave empire, marshaling an army of unprecedented vastness. This colossal force is destined to clash with the defenders of Greece, where the Spartan King Leonidas and his 300 personal bodyguards stand as the last bulwark against the impending Persian onslaught. When a Spartan explorer is captured, his unwavering courage earns him a reprieve from the chopping block. Instead, he's dispatched to Corinth to deliver news of the Persian might to the assembled Greek states. Here, the Athenian leader Themistocles steers the defeatist tide, placing the Athenian fleet under Spartan command, with Leonidas vowing to shield Greece, regardless of who stands beside him. Back in Sparta, political machinations delay the deployment of the full Spartan army, forcing Leonidas to uphold his vow with only his 300 strong bodyguard. Faced with the impossible odds of the Persian force, he chooses to hold the narrow pass of Thermopylae, turning the location's geography to their advantage to offset the numerical disadvantage. Their objective is clear: buy enough time for Greece to mount a proper defense by stalling the Persian advance. Leonidas and his Spartans, renowned for their discipline and fierceness, masterfully utilize the element of surprise, inflicting staggering losses on the overconfident Persians. Their resolve remains unbroken even when faced with Xerxes' elite bodyguard of 'Immortals'. Yet, as they stand on the brink of a heroic last stand, a new threat emerges with the arrival of the traitor Ephialtes. "The 300 Spartans" is an electrifying recount of a pivotal moment in history, immortalizing the bravery of a handful of warriors whose sacrifice helped shape the course of Western Civilization. Their stand at Thermopylae bought the Greek city states crucial time to rally an army, repelling the Persian invaders and altering the trajectory of history forever.

The 300 Spartans is an adventure movie featuring Richard Egan.

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