Gates of Fire (2003) - Synopsis
Based on the best-selling novel by Steven Pressfield, Gates Of Fire is the true story of the epic battle of Thermopylae (meaning "Hot Gates", hence the title) in ancient Greece. The battle pitted 300 Spartan warriors, along with 7,000 Greek allies, against a Persian army that numbered more than 1,000,000 according to some historical accounts. The story is told through the eyes of Xeones, an orphaned, homeless boy who travels to Sparta and becomes a squire in their army. He is saved at the end of the battle by the Persian King Xerxes who wants to understand more about the fierce warriors that held his mammoth army at bay for almost a week. Xeones account provides for the telling of the story in flashback, beginning with the destruction of his own village, his assimilation into Spartan society and the climactic battle. Making this story relevant for today is the consensus among historians that had it not been for this battle, serving as a delay tactic for the mobilization of the main Greek army, the Persians would have conquered Greece before the Golden Age of Athens. Thus, snuffing out the budding culture that was to bring the world the ideals of self-rule and individualism, as well as the breakthroughs in art, mathematics, philosophy and science, which form the basis for Western civilization.
