In 480 BC, the Persian king Xerxes I (Rodrigo Santoro) led an army of 500,000 men (claimed to be 5 million) and more than a thousand warships to attack Greece. And all the way south to approach the Demobilly Pass.
The invincible Xerxes I also sent letters of persuasion to the Greek city-states, hoping that the small states would surrender without a fight. This, of course, includes spartan city.
As a result, Xerxes's emissaries suffered in the revolt of many Greeks. At this time, in order to resist the strong enemy, the brave Spartan king Leonidas (Gerald Butler) personally led a Greek coalition of about 7,000 people assembled from all over the place, and took the lead in rushing to the hot spring pass to hold the dangerous pass.
On the other hand, the Persian army, which had already consumed a great deal in the fierce naval battle, was obviously unable to organize any strong offensive in the land battle in two days, so the short engagement between the two armies did not touch at once.
But two days later, after the cunning Xerxes sent an elite force to sneak up on the pass, the unprepared Greek defenders were quickly defeated.
In order to preserve his strength, Leonidas, in the case of being attacked on his stomach and back, ordered the main force of the Greek coalition to quickly retreat to preserve his strength. He personally led three hundred Spartan warriors to the rear of the temple. A bloody and deadly battle ensued with tens of thousands of Persian troops.
In the end, all three hundred warriors were killed, and the Persian army paid a tragic price of 20,000 deaths and injuries in the battle of the hot springs.