How Accurate is Our Knowledge of Ancient Sparta?

'Debunking the Myths of Ancient Sparta With Historian Michael Scott'
"Did 300 Spartans Really Fight at the Battle of Thermopylae?"
Ancient historian Professor Michael Scott sits down with History Hit's Tristan Hughes to dispel some of the myths we continue to believe about Ancient Sparta.
#300 #Sparta #AncientHistory
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[@apokos8871]

for a regional manager at a paper company, he got absolutely everything right. very nice and quick, well explained answers

[@andrewgodly5739]

He used all that free time at his desk to watch documentaries and read

[@chelikhkahn]

Yeah, all on point but his reluctance to deem Spartans the best ancient warriors, cause there's no doubt about that, at least when concerning archaic and classical period.

[@apokos8871]

@@chelikhkahn how do you count a certain place as having "the best" warriors? you could say it was the Persians, as they created the first real empire for a long time. you could say it was the macedonians, as they were the first to use combined arms so effectively (cavalry, missiles and heavy infantry) to conquer the most ground, you could say it was the romans as they had the most disciplined and successful army and created the biggest empire for the longest time in that period. the spartans had great heavy infantry, but that's it, nothing more than that. so it all depends on how you define "the best".

[@chelikhkahn]

@@apokos8871 I deliberately bounded my statement to the archaic and classical period to avoid that sort of confusion. In these periods Spartan army was second to none, being able to defeat Persians both in close quarters at Thermopylae and on an open field at Plathea. It's worth of noting that some 60 year later they managed to defeat Athenians, their main rivals, in the Peloponnesean war. As for Macedonians, they will arise as an uncontested power a whole century later, marking the end of the classical and beginning the age of Hellenic period.

[@jimbeestone2578]

@@chelikhkahn not really. Thebans beat Sparta thoroughly a few decades after the end of the Peloponnesian war, well within the Classical period. Spartan 'dominance', if it can be called that, is a lot more narrow in scope.

[@FROSTB4NE]

Good to see Michael take an interest in history after leaving Dunder Mifflin.

[@cumobama1398]

It brings me immeasurable joy to see everyone else so delighted to see Michael Scott

[@tuomoluukkanen7265]

Identity theft is no joke, "Michael"!

[@mxe2693]

Michael, you and you alone are getting me through my classics A Level. Thankyou

[@jeffburnham6611]

We know quite a bit about the arms and armor worn by the Spartan's during the Battle of Thermopylae, and they most assuredly were very heavily armored, even the accompanying Greek hoplites wore a heavy bronze bell cuirass.

[@majungasaurusaaaa]

You'd need to be able to afford that. It's middle class kit. Not everyone was middle and upper class.

[@daarom3472]

I heard they recently discovered the bones of giant elephants and goat-men burried near Thermopylae.

[@SnackPack913]

I always forget how much I love history until I fall into another KZbin rabbit hole about a historical subject.

[@LaWraWaN]

and allways at like 2 in the night. xD

[@youtubeme7195]

Needs more views, this is excellent, and relatable. Easily accessible for laymen to understand and accept in terms of "real" history (quotes for the fact that we are far off from it so it's an interpretation of what is known, with what can be interpreted.) By for, needs more interactions so that algo reaches out to people interested in this stuff.

[@RickFoxChicken]

Think about it like this. If a tik tok of a teenager dancing gets 2 million views and this video gets 5% as many views, then the audience for historical videos is considerably smaller. There's just less of a market for this type of thing. Younger and younger people are getting access to phones, and by your 20s you're either full time doing college or working. That's less time to sit back and enjoy a video like this.

[@carveraugustus3840]

That was pretty cool, history hit realty has some great stuff in their service

[@HistoryfortheAges]

Very good stuff! Loved how he mentioned they did not show up at the battle of Marathon. And good explanation of the Helots.

[@wherethewildthingsarenot]

this video is great. Nice conversational style with the substance of a lecture.

[@jxon6246]

I remember first time I saw Michael Scott. It was through Greek documentaries for BBC. It feels good to find it in a random video suggested by youtube. It brings some chilled memories.

[@tuonglukim8973]

You should see his work on "The Office", very good.

[@tuonglukim8973]

@Real Aiglon You must be so much fun at parties, bet you get invited to all of them.

[@diperdik5969]

Actually 3 Spartans survived the battle. Later one (Panditis who was on a mission in Thessaly)committed suicide cause of the shame .another (Eurytos who had an eye infection and was ordered to return to Sparta) returned to the battle scene led by a helot and died there and one (Aristodimos) fought bravely and died in the battle of Plataia

[@James-is2dr]

Enjoyed - informative & interesting

[@michaelandrewblanchette3014]

This was truly excellent. Thank you.

[@rmsteutonic3686]

Very to the point video. Perfect content in my eyes

[@greylithwolf]

I saw the historian's name and checked the comments. I am pleased to confirm to myself that the internet is, in fact, incredibly clever and hilarious.

[@santiagonoto9284]

I really loved this video! Do you have any content expliaining the mithology behind books like The Silmarillion or LotR? It would be really intersting, even more now with "the rings of power" out

[@PalmelaHanderson]

Always important to remember: A very large amount of what we "know" about the Spartans was not written by the Spartans themselves. Archaeology can fill in some gaps, but imagine if someone from Bakersfield today who knew a few Chinese people and had been to Beijing once or twice wrote a history of China. We have to take what we "know" about Sparta with a grain of salt.

[@jensboomgaard]

Yes that's right. One difference though: the man from Bakersfield is only one writer, but about Sparta gas been written by many writers, all using their own sources. This is still not 100% accurate, but it at least gives us a good estimate.

[@micahbush5397]

@DisLB After all, why divert resources and manpower away from war?

[@austinrich117]

Whats crazy is Im from Bakersfield watching this rn in Bakersfield 😂

[@ufc990]

@DisLB NOONE NEEDS TO BRING UP BOY LOVING.

[@trexasaurus5322]

That’s why they said it in the video

[@ryanhey3425]

That was such a good video!!!!

[@saskiaeland2935]

Great and interesting explanation. Love this guy!

[@johnrogers8836]

Great intweview 👍

[@LtEccentric]

There is a reference in Plutarchs Agesilaius where a spartan man fights naked douring the defense of Sparta and gets fined for going into battle unequippped, but was also praised for fighting well.

[@nomis777]

Awesome video

[@jonathangreenway1572]

Great video!

[@ErichdeSade]

Have to say, the Spartans were great at propaganda since the myths are still alive to this day!

[@misturfixit45]

The people responsible for spreading the Spartan legend were mostly non-Spartans, so it seems they just made an impression

[@George_M_]

The Spartans were literally a tourist attraction for the Romans. Come see Spartan Warrior World! Whereas the other cities were forced into other, non military "roles," or destroyed. By the time the Greeks *were* the Romans and could write their own history, it was all set. Then while the Ottomans took over, western Europe spread those old myths of what Greece was and conveniently ignored the subsequent 2000 years, including the whole Being Rome phase.

[@grven4287]

Funny because Laconic (spartan) is an old adjective for people that dont talk.

[@sunnyswiatlo6936]

The newest book on Sparta: Somehow They Managed. By Michael Scott.

[@hesavedawretchlikeme6902]

I know that embellishments were taken to an extreme in this movie, but I still enjoyed the mythology. The actual reality of the Spartans and the withstanding of the Greek city states against the Persians was miraculous without all the super human potrayals. The destruction of the Persian fleet is considered a phenomenal occurrence, a divine providential one.

[@victormeas7898]

I think it's always tinted with a sort of "european" pride, despite the fact that we know that he Greeks did the exact same thing to the Persians years later and failed as well, turning this sort of war of values into a simple war of territory. I knew I was disappointed as a teen when I realized Spartans were'nt fighting for the values of freedom or democracy but rather, to uphold their autocratic slave-state... :(

[@Warrior_Culture]

The movie itself was based on a graphic novel in which a Spartan is telling the tale of the battle as he saw it, so it is definitely embellishments, but it was less embellishing by the director and more of an embellishing by the character telling the tale. That's why they were extreme. I feel like a lot of people don't know that (no idea if you did or not) and judge the movie a bit harshly in the wrong context.

[@victormeas7898]

@@Warrior_Culture I’ve read Frank Miller’s 300, but I think it’s warranted to talk about this, the myth of Marathon and the 300 of Thermopylae and it’s embellishments were very much a thing before his version, and is frequently used by far-right groups in Greece. I think you’re still allowed to consume and enjoy this kind of media! But it’s also important to have a critical view on them

[@Warrior_Culture]

@@victormeas7898 Fair enough.

[@Ameretat010]

@@victormeas7898 The tone of the movie and the portrayal of the Persians as monstrous and degenerate is, however, very much in line with how people across history have tended to describe a hated enemy. That sort of hyperbole isn't a thing of the past either - considering how "progressives" tend to describe anything they don't like as "far right" and anyone they don't like as " _literally_ Hitler "...

[@pamsharpe60]

If the young Spartans spent 23 years training to become a warrior, how long was their average life expectancy? How did this compare to that of young men who were not warriors?

[@apokos8871]

average life expectancy in ancient greece was around 37-41 years, with exceptions of course, there were a bunch of much older people. all this training surely helped the spartans live more healthy lives i suppose, compared to others. as long as they werent killed in battle that is. as far as i remember, they were already deployed in battles before they finished the whole 23 years, as long as they were adults. after finishing their training, they could just live at home with their family, and be called up in case they were needed

[@rmsteutonic3686]

@@apokos8871 the reason for the low life expectancy was because the rate of child mortality was so high it dragged the life expectancy down. If someone made it through childhood they would’ve lived till their 60’s at least I think

[@unibunny0790]

If I remember there is basically an age in 'pre history' where if you pass it you are pretty likely to surivive and live a long life. The Iliad has old people in it so it's wasn't like a society similar to Logan's Run. Mortality was quite focused on about 0-5 years so if you got to 6 you were likely to live.

[@unknow11712]

remember that life expectancy is a statistic based on the avarage age of death . actual medicine made it easyer to have child survive , and old ppl to survive longer . there was always old age in our race, as we always draw and wrote about old ppl , its just that in the past there was 1 old wise man(an extreme example) , not 40% of theyr population . considerate this, if they survived the first 4 years , they were good to go for longer . even "wars" that may be depicted as "often" and " big" were realy 1 evry 2-3 generations , and the loses in wars were much lower , and often the death were about not surviving the aftermat or what is around ( traveling, winters , food , disease) more than the battle itself.

[@chuckhoyle1211]

@@unibunny0790 Pre-history? How about until the development of antibiotics and vaccines. Child mortality rates in the USA until about 1900 were crazy high. That is why families were so large. A good chunk of them would not make it to adulthood.

[@Eduardo_Ventura]

Good video. I already knew these, but it is important to undo the damage Hollywood done to history.

[@thegreatmrt]

This has nothing to do with Hollywood and their take on history, this film is an adaptation of a graphic novel from frank Miller, every bit of information is based from that novel and nothing else because the film is almost panel by panel of the source material. The art style and over the top stuff should have been obvious of a comic/graphic novel. Your issue would be with frank Miller and not Hollywood (though Hollywood is a cesspool in and of itself so I completely agree outside of this)

[@RayvenQ]

@@thegreatmrt Even then a of people don't realise that the film 300 is a story within a story. Dillios is actually recounting the events of Thermopylae, many of which he wasn't even there for , to the soldiers around him before the battle of Plataea. It's a propoganda piece by a spartan, so of course it'll paint the picture that the spartans were good and the persians were debauched, deformed monstrosities.

[@geeky_gunner]

Loved this.

[@desdicadoric]

Very interesting video

[@StudSupreme]

Wait - the one spartan who didn't die at thermopylae was reported by Herodotus to have been ORDERED by Leonidas to return to sparta and report to the spartan 'senate' on what happened. He was heavily censured for not dying with the rest, but participated in the battle at Plataea, where he performed with maniacal heroism. He was AGAIN criticized for breaking ranks with the main formation, but was at least absolved of the accusation of cowardice.

[@sottyify]

There was two Spartan's who were ordered to return to Sparta because they were terribly ill. One of them manages to get up and don his armour and runs back into the fight to die. The other was too weak - he does try to get up, but falls back down. He is the one that returns home - and too everyone in Sparta, yeah, it was 'heresay'.

[@eddiewinehosen6665]

@@sottyify Hearsay*

[@sottyify]

@@eddiewinehosen6665 Nah, I know, just not bothered to change it

[@cotocoyerakson8195]

A lot of the 300 spartans tried to flee when the Persian started to slaughter them, so a lot of them are cowards. But this is almost every spartan at the time. Don't want to fight? So tell everyone that you are in a holyday!

[@StudSupreme]

@@cotocoyerakson8195 Historical fact: The Greeks wiped the floor with the Iranicans every time they met them in battle.

[@DrGimpyy]

Fantastic!

[@jollygrimreaper]

The arm waving enthusiasm next to fragile pottery - real or fake, doesn't really matter - had me on edge more than I care to admit.

[@tomjackson4374]

The Spartans didn't fight with the Athenians at Marathon because they were participating is a religious ceremony. But one Spartan characteristic you forgot is there were no walls around Sparta so whatever battles they won or lost outside of that area they kept any occupier out until Epaminondas and the Thebans in the Fourth century so for six hundred years no Spartan woman witnessed the smoke of an invading army. So comparatively they outperformed any other Greek city state. I would call that pretty badass.

[@SantomPh]

Their true skill was diplomacy and negotiation. They always made sure their defeated enemies signed some sort of treaty to help Sparta. The Thebans refusing to sign such a treaty caused their war and ultimate military defeat

[@jarrodbright5231]

@@SantomPh In fairness, Sparta's alliances had started falling apart after the Corinthian war. The Theban rulers actually signed a treaty with Sparta after their defeat in 382; it was Pelopidas and the rest of the oligarchs returning from Athens and executing the pro-Spartan rulers of Thebes that broke that treaty, and that wouldn't have worked if the Spartans hadn't occupied the Cadmea and started abusing the Theban population. The rest of the Boetians were convinced to join up because they thought Athens was going to give them more support than they actually did, went into a battle they "should" have lost and it turned out that Epaminondas was, for the time, a military genius. Even then, the Battle of Leuctra only happened because the Spartans refused Epaminondas's attempt to negotiate a peace treaty. Instead of signing a treaty by intimidation they tried to sow division between the Boetians by saying Epaminondas would only be signing on behalf of Thebes and by implication that the Spartan army would tear apart the rest of the Boetian league. Sorry to say that by the 390-370BC period their negotiation and diplomacy skills had well and truly deserted them.

[@TheAdHogarth]

Watch those vases! You're putting me on edge.

[@jmace2424]

People always forget that at Thermopylae there weren’t just 300 Spartans. There were also 700 Thespians who died there too.

[@jamesfetherston1190]

Did they die dramatically%?

[@mustplay7212]

@@jamesfetherston1190 More importantly, did they die or kill in slow motion?

[@jackdonith]

There is actually a modern monument at Thermopylae dedicated to the Thespians.

[@leemichael2154]

I have a really cool selfie there which when I posted it got all of 2 likes including the obligatory mum like lol

[@YOUNGSLIMELIFE]

Oh yeah of course, you were there to confirm all the accounts remember

[@sman7099]

You mean there wasn't a bottomless pit that that people got kicked into and there wasn't a 9 foot tall god-king? I am truly shocked.

[@thenewfire]

The Athenians threw the ambassadors from persia into a well because they were asked to give water and earth to persia as tribute.

[@sirkylanthered]

Also neat fact about Spartan society. One of the Greek gods they worshiped back in the early days was Aphrodite. But not the goddess of love Aphrodite Pandemos, or the goddess of celestial love Aphrodite Urania. They worshiped Aphrodite Areia, the war goddess. The only other city state that worshiped her like this was Kythira.

[@billcarson8371]

The Spartan had the support at Thermopylae of about 2,000 other warriors and servants. They did not fought alone.

[@barbarossarotbart]

Fun fact: It was the Athen's who did the kicking the amnassadors into a well. So the quote from "300" should not be "This is Sparta!" but "This is Athens!" ;)

[@LookHereMars]

Interesting. From my understanding there were originally 302 Spartans present at Thermopylae of which 300 were killed. There was the 60 year old co King of Sparta Leonidas I of the Agiad alongside his second in command, voted bravest of all the Greeks at Thermopylae Dienekes who captained the 300 Royal Guard. The 302 Spartiates were accompanied by 900 state owned Helot slaves and 1,000 Lakonian Perioikoi. The Lakonian contingent bound for Thermopylae totalled some 2202 men. During the fighting two Spartans were sent home on the Kings orders with severe eye infections one being Aristodemes, the other being Eurytus. While Aristodemes returned to Sparta in shame Eurytus having gone blind from infection defied the order and had his Helot slave lead him back to the frontline where he died fighting. There was also a third Spartan to be dimissed by the name of Pantites who was sent by Leonidas to Thessaly on a diplomatic errand. Pantites however would not return in time for the final battle and supposedly in his grief chose to hang himself from a tree on the road to Thermopylae. With the dismissal of Aristodemes, Eurytus and Pantites it left 299 Spartans at Thermopylae. However, the return and death of Eurytus in battle added to the overall number of Spartan dead during the campaign of which culminated to 300. The term 300 itself comes not from how many Spartans were present at the battle and last stand as a whole but is instead a reference and honour to the overall number of Spartan battle dead. During the rear guard action and last stand along with the remainder of the 302 Spartans under Leonidas and Dienekes save for the Perioikoi were 900 Spartan state owned Helot slaves, 700 Thespians under Demophilus of Thespiae and 400 Thebens under Leontiades of Thebes totaling 2,200 plus men. The only Greeks to survive were the majority of the 400 Thebens who during the fighting would capitulate to the Persians. The remaining Greeks retreated under combat from the plain of the Thermopylae pass onto Kolonos Hill where they conducted the last stand. The Greeks on Kolonos were attested to have fought so ferociously that the Persians chose to disengage from direct combat and finish them off with continuous volleys of arrow shot until all were dead. The sacrifice of these men ensured the safe unharassed retreat of some 3,000 fellow Greeks from the battlefield many of which would be present for the Greek victory at the Battle of Plataea the following year. Another worthwhile mention is the fate and shunning of the Spartan Aristodemes. Upon his return to Sparta Aristodemes was branded a coward and neglected essentially cast out and ignored by Spartan society for being the only citizen to return home alive. Aristodemes remained in Sparta under scorn and scrutiny but would the following year accompany the large Spartan and allied Greek Army to Plataea. On the day of battle with both Greek and Persian armies arrayed Aristodemes is attested to have walked out in front of the Greek ranks shouting repeated praise to the brave 300 and King Leonidas. Aristodemes after his proclamations is then said to have saluted his fellow Spartans turned to face the Persians and proceeded to charge the entire Persian Army alone commiting battle suicide. Upon witnessing this the Spartans for his bravery returned Aristodemes's salute and redeemed him of his honour. The Greeks then went on to defeat the Persians in open battle whilst simultaniously annihilating the Persian fleet at Mycale ending the second Persian invasion of Greece. "Honour our fathers, honour our sons. Honour our mothers, honour our daughters. Honour the brave 300 and our King Leonidas" - Aristodemes of Sparta.

[@AVhq11]

Glad to see that at least some people are aware of Demophilus of Thespiae

[@roshnidevi7215]

I'm curious about the thing around Michael Scott's wrist...

[@Homeoftheclan]

Thanks I had no idea 300 was a historical documentary, I thought it was based on a graphic novel

[@BodyByBenSLC]

Spartan warriors had a early form of bronze breast plate. Layers of brass, leather, felt pressed together with an early simple type of resin. That was a step up from eastern foes.

[@EAfirstlast]

Ummm... Persians absolutely had bronze armors

[@Al-uv3dn]

Not all Greeks decided to leave Thermopylae on the last day. 700 Thespians stayed and died with the Spartans. In retaliation Xerxis later destroyed the city of Thespia to the ground.

[@AVhq11]

Nice to see that finally someone knows about Demophilus of Thespiae

[@H3llr4z0r]

700 actors?

[@Khenfu_Cake]

@@H3llr4z0r Some brave actors. Nah, the word thespian for actor comes from a man named Thespis who is considered the first actor (as in playing a character on stage during the recital of a play instead of simply being a narrator) and is unrelated to the city of Thespia.

[@paddy7812]

To answer the question, No!! This movie was based on a WILDLY INACCURATE COMIC BOOK!!!

[@timothymorrell4023]

brilliant!

[@Sonics1DiscordKitten]

I love that we talk about the 300, and just casually leave out the other 10,000 lol

[@tuonglukim8973]

"Did Spartans really never surrender?" Micheal Scott stares into the camera.....

[@djehuti3]

Herodotus Book 7 Chapter 133: ' But to Athens and Sparta Xerxes sent no heralds to demand earth, and this was the reason: when Darius had before sent men with this same purpose, the demanders were cast at the one city into the Pit​, and at the other in case of a well, and bidden to carry thence earth and water to the king.' So why does Dr Scott say this didn't happen? Herodotus may be unreliable but Scott uses him as the basis for much of what he says here.

[@davids9614]

Yeah this guy doesn’t know s***. Either intentionally misleading or woefully uninformed for an ‘expert’

[@BimBurger]

Hey we have that blood stew in the Philippines, too - we call it dinuguan. It's black , too, and we love it. I actually want some tonight lol

[@SiqueScarface]

As far as I know, Spartans always saw themselves as occupants, being invaders in Laconia and thus different to the helots in the surrounding villages. And this eternal state of occupancy was why they were keen on projecting their military image, against other Greek poleis, but even more so against their own territory.

[@stephanielloyd4053]

Was this filmed at Worcester Library? I'm sure it looks familiar!

[@Aracne80]

This was very enlightening. Thank you. However, the interviewer needs to pump up his voice. The historian had a strong, calm voice, answering whispering questions. And I do think the historian noticed this, why he more or less spoke out the questions as a confirmation that he heard the question right.

[@hiseverest9074]

The historian's the one who should talk with a normal voice.

[@CB-fz3li]

I thought the Spartans did throw the ambassadors into a well, it was just a decade earlier when Darius sent his envoys before his invasion attempt.

[@oberstul1941]

indeed; it's mentioned in Herodotus Histories Book 7, when the Persians come and demand "earth and water" aka tribute. Yeah, I know we should take Herodotus with some grains of salt, but let's not dismiss it altogether. At least, mention this source. Cheers!

[@Ostsol]

I'm confused as to why they would purposely foul their own water supply with corpses...

[@AeneasGemini]

@@Ostsol They had the foresight to know it would one day be a hit movie

[@lostre77]

@@Ostsol Have you ever heard of a dry well?

[@thenewfire]

The Athenians did it too.

[@forreal2398]

There were like several thousand more there but the question they didn't answer and which was an important one is. Did any of them fight that 1st three days or was it just the spartans. And of those others there I think they were sent home after two days once they knew that they were compromised so it was those spartans left alive that all died so that the rest of the towns in the area had time to set up their forces and live.

[@thenewfire]

At first the Spartans were having so much success that they actually refused to let other Hoplites join in. As they tired and the Persians sent in more advanced troups, they took more turns resting.

[@almercool5]

Here's an interesting fact the reason the Spartans wore those red cloth skirts well one of the reasons, it was for easy Access after winning a battle start engaging in an activity involving what's under there. "penetration" it was considered of a celebration activity

[@philjohnson1744]

9:46 is that a motorcycle statue/ Also is it pronounced Hoplite or Hop-li-te?

[@apokos8871]

in english its hop-li-te. in greek its o-pli-tis

[@micahbush5397]

The myth that wasn't addressed (and I'm still curious about) is that the Spartans only placed grave markers to honor fallen soldiers and women who died in childbirth. I know the thinking is that they reserved the honor for people who gave their lives for Sparta, but isn't it more logical to reward those who fought for Sparta and overcame their adversary?

[@joetunnicliffe2873]

You're not looking at it with a warrior society mentality. To die in battle is the only good death to a warrior. You see this is all warrior societies - Viking, Hun, Assyrian etc

[@micahbush5397]

@@joetunnicliffe2873 But death on the battlefield isn't necessarily the result of bravery. Countless soldiers have died on the battlefield because the army was routed and they tried to flee.

[@joetunnicliffe2873]

@@micahbush5397 To a warrior society showing cowardice (retreating was always cowardice), even in the overwhelming odds of your demise, would stop you entering "heaven". To our modern minds this is hard to grasp, but to fight and die were the only things that mattered.

[@micahbush5397]

@@joetunnicliffe2873 I still don't get the women dying in childbirth, though. It's not as if a woman had much choice in whether or not she died, and her death is counterproductive to the goal of bringing forth more babies.

[@RayvenQ]

@@micahbush5397 I imagine that its because symbolically, it's that much like the soldiers, she gave her life for the continuation of Sparta, regardless of if she had no choice about dying, Same goes for soldiers, they are ostensibly giving up their lives to protect Sparta, regardless of how much choice (although not socially) they had.

[@danielsenday]

Best compilation of mannerisms ever

[@timo191]

I would have been nervous for fear of knocking over some of that potery. lol

[@kodi7024]

We learned in school that Sparta had superior miltary organisation, especially at junior command level, but Argos was actually more famous for individual martial skill.

[@almercool5]

Also reason the Spartans wore those red cloth skirts well one of the reasons, it was for easy Access after winning a battle start engaging in an activity involving what's under there. "penetration" it was considered of a celebration activity

[@EAfirstlast]

For most of history. The Spartans ran essentially a fantastic PR campaign based around thermopylae. It also was the hegemon of a broad community. Sparta isn't really as much of a city state as traditional history makes it out to be. It's a rather more dispersed community and included several townships of both spartans and others allowed to fight under arms in the spartan army, as well as an even further expanded collection of allies throughout the Lacedaemon region. People (and like, even people in the period from the sources we have which are largely athenian) assume Sparta was just like athens when it was more dispersed and less focused on the actual town of Sparta in the way that Athens was really largely about the city of Athens.

[@EvangelineNoelle]

Wow Michele is now more knowledgeable with Ancient Greece and China than Oscar

[@JeddHampton]

Is the movie based on a comic book based on a movie based on the actual event historically accurate?

[@soubgio]

What always impressed me is the fact that though Sparta was a military society, their great rivals, the Athenians who were a very different society and they were focused on different things like arts, sciences, philosophy etc., were actually equals if not superior in the battlefield when they needed to fight. They were the most powerfull city in the mediterenian area at the time. We all hear about the superior army of Sparta but don't forget that there was a war between them which lasted for 27 years and the Spartans took the upper hand only in the end and after they asked and received a great economical boost by the Persians. Just saying.

[@patricktracy1966]

Athens blew it by invading Sicily. Huge mistake.

[@soubgio]

@@patricktracy1966 Correct. Sicily was a great disaster for Athens. But Spartans did get great economical help from Persians and granted the advantage. And Persians were very happy to give it to them. After all Athens was the enemy for Persians and the reason for their first campaign to Greece.

[@elliott9593]

More great content, keep it up :)

[@valmarsiglia]

It makes me nervous to see all those vases by the edge of the table.

[@Testacabeza]

Those vases on the tabe made me nervous. I would have accidentally knocked off a couple with my clumsy elbows.

[@CB-fz3li]

Listening to Tom Holland he says in some ways the film does a good job in depicting Spartan attitudes with Ephialtes' physical deformities being a sign of his treachery.

[@cleverusername9369]

Tom Holland? The guy who plays Spider Man? What does he have to do with this?

[@TopHatHat]

@@cleverusername9369 Nooo, not him, the historian obviously

[@alexanderlupi1716]

@@cleverusername9369 Tom Holland, the guy who plays spiderman, is also a historian at the same time.

[@jplonsdale7242]

@@TopHatHat it wasn't that obvious I thought he meant the spiderman actor as well. I thought maybe he was in 300 and I just couldn't remember who he played

[@TopHatHat]

@@jplonsdale7242 Tom Holland would have been 10 when 300 was filming

[@Merf_Gaming]

not the Michael Scott I was expecting

[@jamyyy5678]

How the turntables

[@AlexFromPhoenix]

I thought that was Bear Grylls on the thumbnail! Lol

[@fosterfuchs]

Lieutenant Colonel Ronald Speirs of "Band of Brothers" fame must have studied the Spartans. Particularly when it comes to the question if he killed the German POW''s. It may just be a rumor. But he surely didn't deny it. He liked the reputation it gave him.

[@Josh-ts9sr]

I'm glad I wasn't born back then. Would be cool to travel in time and visit but I would hate to actually live like that forever

[@damienasmodeus928]

living in Sparta forever? hahaha, you wouldn't survive even 1 year there probably.

[@eugeneflores6153]

Sparta cities aren't even safe, they run through survival of the fittest, and a lot of jock who trained to kill. Then another thing the vast lands and mountain terrains of ancient Greece are full of bandits, double the quantity of medieval era.

[@amirhb7531]

Will we ever see a movie of Persia's great empire and the great kings

[@DGol2015]

What about helots and light infantry who came from Sparta with the 300 hoplites? Over a thousand of them, if i remember right.

[@isaacgleeth3609]

The helots are not Spartans; Lacadaemonians, perhaps.

[@DGol2015]

Well, not from the city of Sparta, but they absolutely marched under its banner.

[@kingjellybean9795]

I wanna see prison Mike debunk stuff from a prison movie, but this will do

[@thvtsydneylyf3th077]

great myth busting :)

[@kevinroche3334]

Interesting, that 'black soup' is still a common dish in Central Europe, especially around the time of the annual pig killing in late autumn.

[@gutz1981]

In Greece the story of the war is titled "Ta 300 to Leonida" (The 300 of Lionadias) Which yeah, it basically says there was 301.

[@photopheros1635]

A good start to chipping away at what is called the 'Spartan Mirage', or the long mythologizing of Spartan history. I am a little disappointed that the channel did not post a reading list for Spartan enthusiasts, so I thought I might make a couple recommendations. Due to the distortions caused by this 'Mirage', I always think it is better to read an introduction to have a better grasp before looking at original work. For scholarly work (we call them 'secondary sources'), I think the numerous introductions and regional studies by (1) *Paul Cartledge* are both sharp and accessible. (2) *Stephen Hodkinson* has done some great work on the 'Mirage', both ancient and modern, though much of it is pretty scholarly. In a couple of months (May 15th!), a short handbook on all things Spartan by (3) *Andrew Bayliss* will come out, which will be a great place to become acquainted with the Spartans and the numerous historical quandaries they left us to uncover! It should also have a list of suggested readings for specific topics. For original work (these are 'primary sources'), (1) Xenophon's essay 'The Spartan Constitution' and (2) Plutarch's biography 'The Life of Lycurgus' are the most detailed on Spartan life, customs, etc. in the Archaic and/or Classical periods. (The Greco-Persian Wars, when the Battle of Thermopylae takes place, is during the Classical period!) However, they are both very problematic from an historical perspective, and suffer from the 'Mirage' themselves. You can also find valuable discussions on the Spartans in more general works of history, such as (3) Herodotus' 'Histories' and (4) Thucydides account of the Peloponnesian War, though you will be using the index to find them. (5) Xenophon also discusses the Spartans in his 'Hellenica', a record of the end of the Peloponnesian War and subsequent Greek history in the fourth century. Finally, if you are interested in governmental or constitutional questions and Sparta, (6) Aristotle's 'Politics' and (7) Plato's 'Laws' (as well as 'Republic', but to a lesser extent) discuss the Spartan system. See also (8) Polybius Book Six, which compares the Spartan constitution to that of other Greek states as well as Rome and Carthage!

[@Catonius]

Cartledge? Meh.

[@misturfixit45]

I don't doubt there's been a distortion of Spartan history, but saying it is one thing and proving it is quite another. For example, what basis do you have to say Sparta was not exactly as Xenophon and Plutarch say it was? It's not as though Carledge, Hodkinson, and Bayliss have some source the rest of us don't. We all work form the same finite amount of information, and those very sources are the ones who created the 'mirage' in the first place.

[@7heTexanRebel]

Me after not reading the title (Michael Scott) while reading the comments wondering why I see so many The Office references ( ͠° ͟ʖ ͡°)

[@jansejak1977]

Pork blood broth is actually one of my favourite meals 😂

[@philippesom5066]

The more modern history of say Sparta Battalion during the Korean War deserve this mythology more than the ancients. Or the Iron Company in Pindus mountains during the Italian invasion.

[@cade377]

I really enjoy when inaccuracies are pointed out, however... the movie "300" was based on a Graphic Novel. Granted, that graphic novel took MASSIVE "creative" liberties with the facts.

[@femoman]

300 is a movie based on a graphic novel based on another movie based on the writings of Herodotus. It's an absolute turducken of a story :P

[@mikets42]

Stealing was prohibited. Children had to become accustomed to being hungry because when they grew up they would have to go to multi day expeditions with minimal supply of food.

[@TrevorTrottier]

No do this with Prison Michael Scott next.

[@jackiechan_wtf4041]

“The worst thing about prison was the-was the Dementors. They were flying all over the place, and they were scary, and then they’d come down, and they’d suck the soul out of your body and it hurt!”

[@John14-6...]

I'm a little confused about the training from 7 to 30 years old. He made it seem that the Spartan warrior doesn't complete their training until 30 and cannot fight until then

[@TheHandsomeman]

So thats were the phrase comes from, "It's not the stealing, it's getting caught"!

[@papajohnloki]

Didn't Aristotle say that the Spartans used to the best warriors but that now (at that time) "Every body trains and everybody beats them"

[@achilles2095]

Spartans should have come to me but I was busy tea bagging hector

[@azazel166]

Greek here, there were also Thespians and Thebans who remained behind with the Spartans following the betrayal.

[@Tomkinsbc]

I heard and have onticed on the monument that the Thespians and Thebian were at the last stand at Thermopylie. The Thebians were not honoured as they surrendered to the Persians and actually the Thebians sided with the Persians, which lead to the Battle of Plataea in 479 BC. The Thespians were steadfast in their desire to fight and die with the Spartans and they are honoured at the site with the Spartans.

[@soubgio]

Exactly. That's the reason why Thebes was the only Greek city that Alexander the great burned down.

[@EAfirstlast]

The thespians weren't honored to die with the spartans. They were honored to die fighting against the Persians. The spartans weren't special, and particularly at thermopylae, no one though of them as special, except that their hegemony was a big one and they could muster a largish army if they leaned on all their allies. It was thermopylae that the spartans made their reputation

[@Tomkinsbc]

@@EAfirstlast I only watched a program that featured a known historian known for her knowledge of Mediterranean history. History is not all what they say it is, Egyptian history included. I watched a program on TV about the UK, and they decided in 1975 to explore the area concerning the conflict between the Saxons and the people of Brittany. They drew a line from the North Sea shore of Northern Yorkshire down through Bristol and to the channel coast. The Saxon were suppose to have populated east of that line and the people of Brittany populated west of the line. Early on into the archeology they discovered the skeletal remains of a couple with a piece of jewelry. The piece of jewelry was discovered to be Saxon so they labeled the couple as Saxons. Much later on, a scientist was examining the piece of jewelry and found that it contained porcelain. Porcelain was invented by the people of Brittany and so they decided they need to reexamine the skeletal remains. In doing so they discovered that they were not Saxons but the DNA was what they expected from the people of Brittany. They also had satellite photos of the area and in these photos you could see where the houses stood back then and even the old roads. The people of Brittany and the Saxons lived as neighbours. Of all the remains they found, there were very few that had wounds that could have been made from violence. The archeologist that have work on the site since 1975 and paid by the UK government commented that, they had no evidence there was conflict between the Saxons and the people of Brittany. In fact all the evidence they had supported that they lived together peacefully as neighbours. I am sure there were the odd case of one neighbour not liking another, but a normal person does not go out and physically harm someone just they do not like them. In North America they just announced foot prints of people other than the natives here. Well I hate to disappoint them, but I have known about the cave art work they discovered 30 years ago, that was not from what we refer to as native people. I also learned of the skull of the woman they found in Brazil in 1982 and sent it to the UK to have it reconstructed. She looked Aboriginal Australian and since then there are people in Southern Argentina that have half their DNA originating from Asia and the other half Aboriginal Australian. They are a little bit late in announcing their discoveries.

[@nosuchthing8]

So in summary, THIS is Sparta!!!

[@B-A-L]

You should do a similar video about the 1960s movie The 300 Spartans with Richard Egan as Leonidas, which I would consider to be more accurate but obviously still a Hollywood movie. I would also like to see you do a video about the historical accuracy of Assassin's Creed Odyssey and try to convince all the Social Justice Warriors that there was no such thing as a female Spartan warrior! Even the Lesbian navy, which was one of the most powerful navies of the time, was made up of male personnel, despite the implications of its name! Oh, one question regarding 300: Did Leonidas really have a Scottish accent?

[@Nick-ct9ob]

The movie _300_ was based off the comic series by Frank Miller.

[@juggernaught79]

Fact: They got up early every morning to shave each others body hair. The hair would then be used to be catapulted into the enemy’s front line thus blinding and choking them…

[@Ulfhednar1993]

They did threw ambassadors, HERODOTUS wrote it, and then they sended two Spartan volunteers in persia

[@meejinhuang]

There were more than just Spartans at Thermopylae. There were many Athenians also. The Spartans did play rear guard so the Athenians could escape while the Spartans all fought to the death.

[@adrianocollinzo5712]

Not including the Helot slaves.

[@benmoore8809]

Yup. There were around 7,000 Greeks in total at Thermopylae. The myth of the 300 Spartans taking on the whole Persian army is mostly based on that last rearguard action on the last day of the battle, but even then, 700 Thespians also elected to stay behind with them to cover the retreat of the main body of the Greek force.

[@NefariousKoel]

Remember the Thespians!

[@adrianocollinzo5712]

@@NefariousKoel those boy lovers lol

[@AeneasGemini]

@@benmoore8809 Well the Spartans certainly respected the Thespians, I believe they gave them their red cloaks as a sign of admiration