For what it's worth that makes plenty of sense what you said. I was thinking along the lines of Braveheart begat Gladiator, Gladiator begat Troy, Troy begat Alexander. But none of those things, although all epics (some of which blew epically), held the same source material. It might also be, that a more realistic version of the battle may not be as cinematically enticing. It was also probable that Gates of Fire and Universal shot too high for a director.

Marathon did not involve the Spartans so that's a bit silly to do a movie without them if it's got anything to do with the source material. The battle of Platae, which is somewhat eluded to at the very end of 300, would be a more likely candidate or the Peloponesean War which Myrdinn mentioned (Athens vs Sparta).<BR itxtvisited="1" /><BR itxtvisited="1" />Brendan, back a bunch of months ago (years?) I heard that Steven Pressfield's novel Gates of Fire was optioned and was going to be made into a movie, that is a more historically accurate (though still fictionalized) recounting of the battle. You'd think this movie has a greater chance to be made with the success of 300.