Historian Herodotus› “The Histories”: Herodotus chose which

versions of stories to keep based on what was a better story and more politically expedient

› Therefore, much controversy

Differences:› No Spartan went into battle bare chested

Known for armor and chest plates› Spartans were not heroes

Kept slaves Interestingly, strange male/female equality

Similarities:› Not all Spartans were warriors› Betrayed by Ephialtes› “Tonight we dine in hell”

Primary Sources:› Homer’s Iliad› Major/minor works from Greece & Rome› Medieval European sources› Shakespeare’s Troilus and Cressida

Art from:› Mycenae› Knossos› Pylos› Troy

Background Abilities “Incredible Hercules” vs. “Hercules” Zeus, Apollo, Ares, Hera, Pluto, Athena,

and Poseidon all make appearances› Zeus favors Hercules

“Incredible Hercules” issue #129› Descent into Underworld to find missing Zeus› Set in casino scene› Hades as “Lord of the Dead”

Background Siblings: Demeter, Hera,

Poseidon, Pluto & Vesta› Hera became his Queen

Weapon: lightning bolt forged from the flames of Olympus by Hephaestus was his usual weapon of choice

Theodore Roosevelt depicted as infant Hercules grappling with the Standard Oil Company

“Odysseus and the Cyclops”

“Pandora’s Box” “Perseus and Medusa” “The Trojan Horse” “The Twelve Labors of

Hercules” “Theseus and the Minotaur”

Gods of Olympus

Similar to book More male/female/family interaction in

order to gain more crowd Otherwise, very

similar

T.S. Eliot “Gerontion”:› I was neither at the hot gates

Nor fought in the warm rainNor knee deep in the salt marsh, heaving a cutlass,Bitten by flies, fought.

Sylvia Plath “Letter in November”:› O love, O celibate.

Nobody but meWalks the waist high wet.The irreplaceableGolds bleed and deepen, the mouths of Thermopyla.

Lord Byron “Don Juan” canto iii:› Earth! render back from out thy breast

A remnant of our Spartan dead!Of the three hundred grant but three,To make a new Thermopylae!

A.E. Housman “The Oracles”:› The King with half the East at heel is marched from land

of morning;Their fighters drink the rivers up, their shafts benight the air,And he that stands will die for nought, and home there’s no returning.The Spartans on the sea-wet rock sat down and combed their hair.

Emily Dickinson “Go Tell It — What a Message”:› “Go tell it” — What a Message –

To whom — is specified –Not murmur — not endearment –But simply — we — obeyed –Obeyed — a Lure — a Longing?Oh Nature — none of this –To Law — said sweet ThermopylaeI give my dying Kiss –

“The Muse” “Sirens” “Clash of the Titans” “Troy” “Alexander”

“Despite the introduction of Christianity and subsequent decline of early Roman religion, Roman mythology stayed intact and continues to impact modern Western society today. Many people find

these ancient myths fascinating and they are often taught in schools. Much of Western society’s

literature has felt the impact of Roman mythology and tells the stories of its gods and goddesses.

Mythical names and creatures are often used for businesses or sports teams to symbolize their

strength or power.

The Roman myths that were first told many centuries ago can still be found in modern society in different ways. Movies, stories, comic book heroes and business logos show the continued impact of

Roman mythology on Western civilization.” (The Impact of Roman Mythology)

"300 Spartans - Frank Miller's 300 Historical Accuracy - Spartan Warriors of History." 300 Movie Quotes - Quotable Lines from the Movie 300 - Quotations. 15 July 2009 <http://www.300quotes.com/spartans/>.

Age of Bronze Comics Homepage - The Story of the Trojan War ." Age of Bronze Comics Homepage - The Story of the Trojan War . 15 July

2009 <http://age-of-bronze.com/aob/index.shtml>. "Hercules (Marvel Comics) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia."

Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. 16 July 2009 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hercules_(Marvel_Comics)>.

Miller, Frank, and Lynn Varley. 300. Milwaukie, OR: Dark Horse, 1999. "The Impact of Roman Mythology." Articles, Blogs and Information on

Mythology. 22 July 2009 <http://www.myths-and-mythology.com/articles/mythology-impact/roman-impact.php>.

"Zeus (Marvel Comics) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. 18 July 2009 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zeus_(Marvel_Comics)>.

"Zeus - Marvel Universe: The definitive online source for Marvel super hero bios.." Marvel: The Official Site | Iron Man, Spider-Man, Hulk, X-Men, Wolverine and all Marvel Comics, News, Movies and Video Games Marvel.com. 20 July 2009 <http://marvel.com/universe/Zeus>.