Say what you want about the movie

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James Emerson I really dont think I had much of a choice in the matter. This one site contained in it so many things that I love, History, Ancient warfare, world changing events, and there have been comics written and moveis made about Thermopolye. Yes thats right, the actual site of where the movie 300 was said to take place. And you can say what you want about the movie, but take it for what its worth, a good piece of historical fiction. Did It happen exactly the way that it did in the movie, no of course not, but they did get enough of the facts right to make me happey. But I digress this is a travel blogg and not a movie review.

Getting to the site proved to be a bit of a challange. Since its a bit off he beaten path, I really had to hunt for info on how to get there and what to do once i got there bit for the most part I just wingged it, and it all worked out. The actual town of Thermopoloy is pritty small and theres not a whole lot there, Its just outside where things get intresting. The first thing I found was the massive Monument to Leonidus, the king of the spartens, his 300 men, as well as the other handful of greeks that held that pass against the massive persian assult. When you stop and think about it, its a pritty Important battel in history. The time they bought gave the people of Athens the chance to evacuate the city, including the whole navey and army. It was the Athenian navey that eventually seucred victory, by defeating the persian navey and thus cutting off supply to the one million, according to heroditus, persian army in greece. Without that support they crumbeled. right right bolgg not history lesson.

So after the viewing of the massive statue of leonidius, poised and ready to throw his spear, I wanered around the barren rocky battle feild. I dont think that they know exactly where the battle took place, since the landscape has changed over the years but, they seem to be pritty sure that it was in this place, (apperently heroditus was pritty good at pointing out landmarks). For a open area that was noting but dust, rocks and animal bones it was pritty cool, and as I scampered around the littel kid in me came out and I could just imagin standing there wathing as a carpet of armourd soldiers marched towards me. Pritty intense But not nearly as good as my next discovery.

The word thermopolies literaly translates as hot spring, so I wasnt to suprised when i found a river that stunk of sulfur and was the tempature of a nice relaxing hot tub. I was fascinaed by this clear, hot water that was flowing like a stream and was coating the rock arond the banks in a crusty calsium deposit. For about half an hour I hiked up stream to the waters orgins, a large pool that seemed to be emminating from the base of the mountin before me and was bubbling like a pot of boiling water. the water was a bright blue and the rocky below were covered with a slimey green algie. It didnt take much coaxing from the group of germans just finishing a swim for me to strip down and climb in, How could I not, when was my next chance to bask in the hot springs of thermopolie?

Soon after my dip in the pool I started nmaking my way back so i could cath the last bus to Lamia, so I could catch the last bus to Athens. Even though I was only there for a short time in relation to how long the trip there and back took, I felt it was well worth it to experience a part of greece that is often over looked by most travelerse, and the ones that do stop ( and there were a few) only seemed to stop look at the monument and then get back on the tour bus and carry on there way. With so much going for it, I dont think that Thermopoloie will stay a sleepy little village for long, but I hope it does.

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