The true story behind the events in 300: Rise of an Empire, the
sequel to Zack Snyder's 300
The action-filled movie 300 focused on Ancient Greece's epic battle of
Thermopylae, in which King Leonidas led 300 Spartans into battle against
Xerxes and his million-strong Persian forces. In the sequel, 300: Rise
of an Empire, the action moves to the sea, covering ten years starting
with the Battle of Marathon and ending with naval engagement the Battle
of Artemisium, which occurred the same day as Thermopylae.
Rise of an Empire tells the story of the real men and events depicted
in the movie, focusing on the Athenian general Themistocles, one of the
world's greatest warriors. He became warlord of Greece, built their navy
and, by uniting Greece to defeat Xerxes' fleet, enabled what we call
western civilization. Packed with vivid detail, clashes of arms and
ships, blood and glory, Rise of an Empire tells a story even bigger
than the big screen could contain.
- Both an essential read for fans of the 300 movies and the Frank
Miller graphic novels they're based on
- An insightful exploration of the leaders who feature in the film,
their backgrounds, motivations, command decisions, struggles,
victories and defeats, from the Battle of Marathon through the Battles
of Artemisium and Salamis: Xerxes, the Persian king determined to
succeed where his father failed, and Themistocles, overcoming
monumental hurdles to turn Athens into Ancient Greece's greatest sea
power and leading city-state of the age
- A gripping narrative of the real-life naval battles of the first and
second Persian invasions of Greece, with fascinating detail about the
ships, the warriors and the tactics
