Comments on: Top Ten Pagan Stories of 2007 (Part One) http://wildhunt.org/blog/2007/12/top-ten-pagan-stories-of-2007-part-one.html Sat, 21 Nov 2009 10:24:03 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Caturo http://wildhunt.org/blog/2007/12/top-ten-pagan-stories-of-2007-part-one.html/comment-page-1#comment-1342 Caturo Mon, 31 Dec 2007 13:54:00 +0000 http://wildhunt.org/blog/2007/12/top-ten-pagan-stories-of-2007-part-one.html#comment-1342 «300» is splendid as an epic movie, but unfortunately it falsefies History and Religion. Contrary to what the film shows, Leonidas did not disobey the ephors, instead he acted according the oracle:<br/><i>Carneia festival<br/>Herodotus writes:[19]<br/><br/>The force with Leonidas was sent forward by the Spartans in advance of their main body, that the sight of them might encourage the allies to fight, and hinder them from going over to the Medes, as was likely they might have done had they seen that Sparta was backward. They intended presently, when they had celebrated the Carneian Festival, which was what now kept them at home, to leave a garrison in Sparta, and hasten in full force to join the army. The rest of the allies intended to act similarly; for it happened that the Olympic Festival fell exactly at this same period. None of them looked to see the contest at Thermopylae decided so speedily; wherefore they were content to send forward a mere advance guard. Such accordingly were the intentions of the allies.<br/><br/>During the Carneia, military activity was forbidden by Spartan law. At the Battle of Marathon, the Spartans had arrived too late because of this requirement. On this occasion, the ephors decided the urgency was sufficiently great to justify an advance expedition under one of its kings (Leonidas), which can be used to roughly determine the time of year. The Carneia took place in a late summer month (July, August or September) from the 7th to the 15th ending with a full moon.[20]<br/><br/>[edit] The oracle<br/>The legend of Thermopylae as told by Herodotus has it that Sparta consulted the Oracle at Delphi before setting out to meet the Persian army. The Oracle is said to have made the following prophecy in hexameter verse:[21]<br/><br/>O ye men who dwell in the streets of broad Lacedaemon!<br/>Either your glorious town shall be sacked by the children of Perseus,<br/>Or, in exchange, must all through the whole Laconian country<br/>Mourn for the loss of a king, descendant of great Heracles.</i><br/><br/>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Thermopylae<br/><br/><br/>Atheism is indeed quite nasty, specially when it becomes intelectually dishonest... many men of our time have such a disregard for Religion, mainly because of Christianity, that they extend their anti-religious prejudice to all the religions. «300» is splendid as an epic movie, but unfortunately it falsefies History and Religion. Contrary to what the film shows, Leonidas did not disobey the ephors, instead he acted according the oracle:
Carneia festival
Herodotus writes:[19]

The force with Leonidas was sent forward by the Spartans in advance of their main body, that the sight of them might encourage the allies to fight, and hinder them from going over to the Medes, as was likely they might have done had they seen that Sparta was backward. They intended presently, when they had celebrated the Carneian Festival, which was what now kept them at home, to leave a garrison in Sparta, and hasten in full force to join the army. The rest of the allies intended to act similarly; for it happened that the Olympic Festival fell exactly at this same period. None of them looked to see the contest at Thermopylae decided so speedily; wherefore they were content to send forward a mere advance guard. Such accordingly were the intentions of the allies.

During the Carneia, military activity was forbidden by Spartan law. At the Battle of Marathon, the Spartans had arrived too late because of this requirement. On this occasion, the ephors decided the urgency was sufficiently great to justify an advance expedition under one of its kings (Leonidas), which can be used to roughly determine the time of year. The Carneia took place in a late summer month (July, August or September) from the 7th to the 15th ending with a full moon.[20]

[edit] The oracle
The legend of Thermopylae as told by Herodotus has it that Sparta consulted the Oracle at Delphi before setting out to meet the Persian army. The Oracle is said to have made the following prophecy in hexameter verse:[21]

O ye men who dwell in the streets of broad Lacedaemon!
Either your glorious town shall be sacked by the children of Perseus,
Or, in exchange, must all through the whole Laconian country
Mourn for the loss of a king, descendant of great Heracles.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Thermopylae

Atheism is indeed quite nasty, specially when it becomes intelectually dishonest… many men of our time have such a disregard for Religion, mainly because of Christianity, that they extend their anti-religious prejudice to all the religions.

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