[The Cunning Tower by Wilfrid, April 27, 2007]
"If the Persian arrows blot out the sun, we shall fight in the shade." More or less. A stirring line from the movie 300, and taken straight from the account of the Battle of Thermopylae in Herodotus' Histories. As indeed, is the rest of the movie's plot, scene by scene (okay, discounting Lena Headey in a clinch and some of Xerxes' camper moments). Question. Is this the oldest line of dialogue ever to find its way into a Hollywood movie?
"Aw, truly this was the Son of..." No. Not even in the race. Herodotus is writing more than four centuries B.C. Parts of the Old Testament may be a little older, but where are the snappy lines? Epic of Gilgamesh - much older. Homer too. But again, where's the dialogue. I think we need a movie adaptation of the whole of the Histories. About eighteen hours, plenty of fighting and sex. Great script.