21st Annual Student Research Conference
The Battle of Thermopylae from a Persian Perspective
Kathleen M. Vanderhoof
Prof. Martha L. Rose, Faculty Mentor
The Battle of Thermopylae is known as the story of King Leonidas of Sparta and his quest to dispel Xerxes the Great of Persia from mainland Greece. This battle is now considered one of the most heroic acts of bravery in the history of warfare. The ideals of liberty, virtue, and patriotism are strongly associated with Greek culture, and Thermopylae has become a prime of example of this. Hollywood capitalized on these values when they released the movie 300 in March of 2007. Underneath the glamour of the movie, the main inaccuracy is the portrayal of the Persian character. This research combines information gathered during the 2007 "Sacred Sites in Greece" Study Abroad course as well as later work that focused on the ancient Persian perspective.
Keywords: Thermopylae, Greece, battle
Topic(s):Study Abroad
Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: 56-2
Location: OP 2111
Time: 3:00