I agree Gopher, what they did was a unbelievably remarkable feat. Most of that feat is more than likely due to the skill and leadership of the Spartans.
One thing that just floored me was something that was mentioned in the History Channel special.
Paraphrase:
If the Spartans and the Athens Navy had failed to do so much damage to the Persian army there is little doubt that the Persians would have destroyed the Greek way of life with the burning of Athens and the slaughter of its people.
the Greeks were the sole country (or city states) that had democracy. if that had been wiped out Democracy would probably never have thrived nor would it had been reinvented. Given that, you can broadly place the very survival if not existence of 'Freedom' into the hands of Leonidas and those that died with him that day.
Remember, the only reason they fought that day was to give the (tactically) retreating Athens army a chance to regroup and give them a head start back to Athens. As such, the entire population of Athens was evacuated leaving only the city itself to perish and not the people.
No matter the true numbers of who fought and who died. The very feat that they accomplished is just staggering if you sit back and really think about it and its eventual Democratic repercussions.
...that and the movie looks like it will rock!
