I stumbled upon this odd parallel shortly after taking in ascreening of “300,” a blood-and-guts action epic that brings tocomputer-animated life a graphic novel by the singularly talentedFrank Miller. They were, to use the Greekword, “pederasts.” Not just gay, this “Sacred Band of Thebes,” this classicalversion of today’s special forces, was composed entirely of oldermen and their younger male lovers. One other thing about this other ancient Greek “300": They weregay. They were Thebans, winningcombat glory and meeting their bloody but brave end at the Battleof Chaeronea in 338 B.C.E., where they were annihilated by PhillipII of Macedon and his son, who would become known as Alexander theGreat. Thesewarriors weren’t Spartans valiantly resisting the Persian hordes atthe Battle of Thermopylae in 480 B.C.E.
Sounds like the plot to the hit film “300,” no? Not quite. They fought to their lastbreath, every last one.
In their finalbattle, they held their ground while their allies fled, refusing tosurrender though they were surrounded.
They foughtfor their home city-state against great odds, winning glory on thebattlefield and freedom for their countrymen. They were knownthroughout the land as the most fearsome, the most courageous, themost tenacious fighters to pick up a spear and shield. These ancient Greek warriors numbered 300.
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