[Dean's World] Dave Price: Meritocracy

[notify at powerblogs.com]

Posted by Dave Price:
Meritocracy
http://www.deanesmay.com/posts/1197049696.shtml


   I was watching 300, Frank Miller's epic paeaen to the Spartan last
   stand against Persian invaders, and being curious about some of the
   details I took a glance at the [1]Wikipedia entry for the Battle of
   Thermopylae. While the movie isn't absolutely accurate, I was
   surprised how accurate some of the dialogue turns out to have been --
   "our arrows will blot out the sun" threat and the "then we will fight
   in the shade" rejoinder apparently really happened, and they really
   did throw the Persian messengers into a well, telling them they would
   find plenty of "earth and water" below.
   I also happened upon this, which struck me as an interesting statement
   on early Western values:

     Xerxes was curious as to what the Greeks were trying to do
     (presumably because there were so few numbers) and had some
     Arcadian deserters interrogated in his presence. The answer was
     that all the other men were participating in the Olympic Games.
     When Xerxes asked what the prize for the winner was, "an
     olive-wreath" came the answer. Upon hearing this, Tigranes, a
     Persian general, said: "Good heavens, Mardonius, what kind of men
     are these that you have pitted against us? It is not for money that
     they contend but for glory of achievement!" (Godley
     translation).[54]

References

   1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_thermopylae