Question: Could someone please explain the goat in Xerxes' 'sex room' (for lack of a better word). The scene before Xerxes offers the hunchback Ephialtes everything, this scene begins with a shot of a goat with human hands playing an instrument and (I believe) smoking something. Does Xerxes have a goat fetish or something? Could someone kindly explain this for me.
Question: Despite watching this film twice, I'm a little unsure of the significance behind Leonidas' wounding of the Persian King. Is there something I'm missing?
Answer: When Leonidas and Xerxes are talking earlier in the film, Xerxes tells him that no one will remember who Leonidas was. Leonidas tells Xerxes that they will know that free men fought to remain free (or something like that) and that a god-king can bleed. So by wounding Xerxes before he, Leonidas, died, he made good on his taunt.
Question: The Spartans come across a village destroyed by Persians, and not long afterwards they arrive at the Hot Gates where they see the Persian army arriving by sea. Granted I wasn't paying full attention, what's going on with the geography?
Chosen answer: The village was destroyed by a Persian scouting party. The emissary talking to the Spartans at the Phocian wall told Dienekes that the hills were swarming with scouts. It would make sense that they had a large party going ahead of the partial army on the ships.
Question: On my DVD from Thailand, when the queen is talking to the old man, just after loosing her child, it is voiced in Thai. Can someone tell me what they are saying?
Answer: The old man is telling Queen Gorgo that he will arrange for her to speak in front of the elders, so she can persuade them to send the Spartan Army to help Leonidas. He also tells her that he will arrange the meeting in 2 days time, and advises her to get Theron on her side, no matter what, as he controls the council.
Question: How accurate is this film in relation to the actual Battle of Thermopylae?
Answer: Remember that even in the film, it's not really treated as a true story. It's Dilios telling a propaganda tale meant to boost the spirits of his fellow Greek warriors at Plataea.
Answer: It's based on Frank Miller's comic 300, rather than Herodotus' recounting of the actual battle. Almost nothing is accurate beyond Leonidas leading 300 Spartans to the Hot Gates and fending off Persians until Ephilates (not a hunchback) exposes the goat path. Xerxes is certainly not a tall Latino man, the Persians never used elephants, rhinos and explosives or mutants and Leonidas' former co-king actually sided with the Persians after getting kicked out of Sparta. In addition, 1000 Thespians also stood beside the Spartans and also died besides them. The Persians also did not have an 'inside man' in the Spartan government nor did they pay off the Ephors to tell Leonidas not to march; in reality it was a religious festival so the army had to stay home. Gorgo was also an accomplished wrestler and charioteer and would not have been raped so easily, especially by a politician.
Answer: According to the director it is 90 percent accurate. But in reality there are many things going on in this movie that are totally fantastical. One of the biggest problems are the costumes, diplomacy and tactical situation of the actual battle (the 300 did not in fact stand alone). Also, the movie includes elephants, which the Persians did not use in that battle, and certainly not rhinoceros. Also, Xerxes' portayal is completely fictional.
Question: What is at the bottom of the pit of death? Is it just a flat bottom or are there deadly creatures or sharp stuff at the bottom?
Answer: The scene is meant to show that Xerxes has exotic creatures/slaves from every corner of the world. In the reality of the film, a goat-headed musician would certainly qualify.