“300 offends Parsis”

With reference to the item "300 offends Parsis, Iranians”(Events and Personalities, Parsiana, April 7, 2007), I would like to shed light on the Battle of Thermopylae (480 BC).

In A History of Western Philosophy, Bertrand Russell writes: "Though the battle was a defeat for the Persians, it was a best example for their valor. Thermopylae was a narrow pass through the mountains, where it was hoped that the Persian army would be held. Three hundred Spartans with auxiliaries repulsed all frontal attacks but at last the Persians discovered a detour through the hills and succeeded in attacking the Greeks on both sides at once. Every single Spartan was killed at his post.”

As for the Spartans, historian Herodotus said: "No Spartan could resist a bribe. This was in spite of the fact that contempt for riches and the love of the simple life was the main thing inculcated in Spartan education. King Pausan, a Spartan, was a traitor in the pay of Xerxes.” Even Aristotle gives a very hostile account of Spartans while saying that the Persians were extremely cultured, liberal, energetic, philosophic and aristocratic in their way of dressing.

What dress? one may well ask after seeing the Persians half-clad in the movie. Warner Brothers needed to do a lot more research instead of pushing their own homemade, half-baked version of Persian history down the throats of unsuspecting viewers. One is inclined to think that the filmmakers wanted to cash in on the current hostility and paranoia about Iran in the USA.

On a lighter note, this kinky Spartan epic is called 300 because the title alludes to the length of fabric used in the entire film — in inches! This is an unprecedented feat in filmmaking for had the costume budget been cut any further it would have become a soft-porn movie!

RUBY LILAOWALA