This is SPARTA!

Gerard Butler, the Scots actor who played Leonidas in the film '300' came to Greece last week to take part in yet other celebrations.  It is 2,500 years since the Battle of Thermopylae, in 480BC

  The film '300'  is the story of Leonidas, King of the greek state of Sparta, who with his 300 Spartans and about 2,000 soldiers from other parts of Greece,  faced the Persian army.  They  held the narrow pass at Thermopylae for 3 days.  Leonidas and his men were all killed. The rest were either killed or surrendered.  Spartans never surrendered or showed weaknes.   Spartan mothers expected their sons to either come home  victorious or be carried back dead on their  shields.

The Persian forces are thought to have been between 100,000 and 300,000.  When the Persian ambassador ordered the Spartans to lay down their weapons Leonidas yelled 'come and take them'.

All fesitivities have been cancelled but Butler did manage to take part in the first day of the Olympic torch relay, carrying the flame into the city of Sparta.  When he reached the statue of Leonidas he shouted out 'This is Sparta' much to the crowd's delight.