Ancient Greece is a pretty common setting for lots of movies centered on ancient warfare. Fortunately, there were quite a lot of conflicts going on at the time that the Ancient Greeks were around, so there’s certainly no shortage of material to draw inspiration from. Even if one doesn’t wish to draw inspiration from real events, the Greeks had loads of mythology about gods and heroes and plenty of fictitious battles that can serve as interesting Hollywood setpieces.
As it happens, many movies have made use of this enormous lexicon of material that the Greeks left behind in their myths and histories. Indeed, many films show battles that the Greeks fought, both real and fictional.These are the best Greek battles in movies, which, regardless of the movie’s inherent quality, are almost always the most exciting part of the entire film.
10The Battle of Marathon
‘300: Rise of an Empire’ (2014)
In the category ofsequels that literally nobody asked for, there’s300: Rise of an Empire, which is actually more of a prequel to its predecessor. This film opens up during the first few months of the Greco-Persian Wars, beginning with the Battle of Marathon near the eponymous city in Greece. In terms of historical accuracy, this sequence fell way below the bar set and was nothing like the actual event, from the weather to the terrain to the weapons used.
In short, don’t come into this flick expecting a good, historically accurate depiction of true events. But do go into it expecting this first engagement to be pretty thrilling and visually stunning, which unfortunately doesn’t set the tone for the rest of the movie. The thunderstorm and mud of the terrain combined with the Athenians chasing the Persians back onto their ships is truly marvelous andcontains every bit of the charm that made the first film so beloved.
300: Rise of an Empire
9The Gods vs. The Titans
‘Immortals’ (2011)
Immortalsis a movie that manages to be both amazing and amazingly terrible at the same time. The good parts are really good, while the bad parts are abysmal. In short, it’s pretty middle-of-the-road overall. One of the highlights, however, comes at the end of the film, when the Greek Pantheon of gods dons their shiny bronze armor, draws their iconic weapons, and faces off against the ancient race of titans.
The fight isn’t anything large-scale, but the smaller,intricate scene contains incredible fight choreographyand allows the Greek gods to actually show their prowess in battle for once, which isn’t something many movies allow them to do. As far asswords-and-sandals moviesgo, this uneven but visually dazzling effort is far from the best but is pretty awesome when it comes to action, and there’s no denying that.
8Andromeda vs. the Makhai
‘Wrath of the Titans’ (2012)
Another sequel that nobody asked for,Wrath of the Titansis a follow-up to the poorly-receivedClash of the Titansmade just two years prior. This misguided picture actually managed to be even worse than its predecessor, which is honestly to be expected, but if there’s one part that got hearts pumping, it’s Andromeda’s (Rosamund Pike) battle against the sinister Makhai at the end.
In Greek mythology, the Makhai are literal personifications of war and battle, so Andromeda and her army areessentially battling war itself. It might seem like a ridiculous concept, but the fight is visually captivating, featuring a massive volcanic eruption as a backdrop. The Makhai also feel decently intimidating and dangerous, as befits their nature. It’sdefinitely the most exciting part of this lackluster film, and it almost makes the rest of the movie worth it. Almost.
Wrath of the Titans
7Hercules vs. Cotys
‘Hercules’ (2014)
Definitely one ofDwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s weirder roles is when he played the Greek hero Hercules in the 2014 film of the same name. Granted, the movie isn’t awful. Reviews ranged from average to slightly above average, so it wouldn’t be wrong to call it one of the “okayest” movies ever made. Many aspects of the film were lacking, but where it really shone was in its final battle sequence.
Here, Hercules faces off against the forces ofKing Cotys I(John Hurt), ruler of Thrace. Considering that there is no evidence suggesting Hercules was even a real person, it’s unlikely this battle ever occurred in real life, but boy, is it ever exciting. It may be entirely speculative, but the scene helps this adaptation of the myth stand out from many of the others because, goodness knows, there are just too many of them to count. This movie really needed this scene, and it may havesingle-handedly saved it from being a whole lot worse.
6The Battle of the Hydaspes
‘Alexander’ (2004)
To be frank,Alexanderisan all-time bad period biopicand a monumental disappointment to movie fans. But if there’s one thing it got right, it’s the battle sequences. ThisOliver Stonedisasterpiece starsColin Farrellas Macedonian rulerAlexander the Greatas he wages conquests across the Middle East and South Asia. One of these conquests occurs in present-day Pakistan, coming to be known as the Battle of the Hydaspes.
Here, Alexander the Great encountered elephants for the first time, which was a huge shock to him and his army, as they had never seen these gigantic beasts before. Still, Alexander was able to emerge victorious. Even though the setting is a little off,many historians praised this battle sequencefor some of the finer details, including the shock and awe of the Macedonians seeing the elephants and their fighting style, in general.
5The Battle of Thermopylae
‘The 300 Spartans’ (1962)
The 300 Spartansis a film that has unfortunately passed into obscurity in recent years, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t enjoyable. The story is inspired by the very real Battle of Thermopylae during the early years of the Greco-Persian Wars, roughly ten years after the aforementioned Battle of Marathon. During this fight,King Leonidas I(Richard Egan) of Sparta took a force of just 300 of his finest warriors to meet the invading Persians at Thermopylae, each knowing full well it was a sacrificial mission.
Though the Spartans were doomed to die, and they knew it, they also knew their sacrifice would delay the enemy and give time for the rest of Greece to prepare for war. The depiction of the battle in this movie might seem kind of outdated now on account of the fact that the film came out over 60 years ago, but it’s still pretty exciting and isa truly inspirational tale of sacrifice, camaraderie, and doing what’s right for one’s country.
The 300 Spartans
4The Battle of Gaugamela
Say what you will aboutAlexander, but as mentioned, thisawful movie has some awesome battle sequences, the best of them being the Battle of Gaugamela in what is likely present-day Iraq. Here, Alexander the Great fought the Persians on a wide-open desert plain and once again emerged victorious, though this time was fortunate enough not to be faced with any elephants or strange creatures that would have surprised him or his men.
Any fan of Ancient Greece ought to check this battle for authenticity becauseAlexandernailed it in that department.
In aninterview withInsider, historian and ancient warfare expertRoel Konijnendijkgave this scene, in particular, a nine out of ten in terms of realism and stated that this is actuallythe most realistic depiction of the Battle of Gaugamelaas can be found in pretty much any form of media. Obviously, it’s pretty high praise and speaks enough to the quality of this specific scene, but definitely not for the whole movie. Regardless, any fan of Ancient Greece ought to check this one out for authenticity becauseAlexandernailed it in that department.
3The Siege of Troy
‘Troy’ (2004)
TroystarsBrad Pittas the Greek hero Achillesduring the Trojan War in what is most likely present-day Turkey. The general consensus among historians is that the city of Troy was probably real, but whether or not the Siege of Troy (and the accompanying legend of the Trojan Horse that the movie follows) actually happened is very much up for debate. If you’re not familiar with the legend, the movie will be sure to catch you up on it.
Basically, the Greeks are making little progress in their Siege of Troy and devise a plan that is so ridiculous that it just has to work.They construct an enormous wooden horse, leaving it on the beach and pretending to pack up and go home. The Trojans take the wooden horse into the city, believing it to be a gift to the gods. However, a small group of Greek warriors is hidden within, and that night, they emerge to let their returning army into the city, causing the battle to be won. Pretty much the whole movie centers around this siege, and it’svery exciting from start to finish.
2The Skeleton Skirmish
‘Jason and the Argonauts’ (1963)
Jason and the Argonautsfollows the Greek hero Jason (Todd Armstrong), a figure of legend who embarks on a quest across the sea to find the mythical Golden Fleece, encountering many dangerous creatures and locations along the way. In the film, one of these many dangers is a small contingent of undead warriors, skeletons that have risen from the grave and begin to attack Jason without really giving any reason why.
For a film made in 1963, the scene is actually very cleverly done and isimpressive in its ability to capture the battlewithout the use of CGI. Sure, it’s small and might be a bit outdated by today’s standards, but this quick fight between Jason and the skeletons is often seen asthe best part of the film, especially with how it showcases theswordsmanship of Jasonand his ability to face danger head-on, like a true Greek hero.
Jason And The Argonauts
1The Battle of Thermopylae (again)
‘300’ (2007)
Unquestionably, the best Greek battle in any movie everhas got to be300’s version of the Battle of Thermopylae. The movie isbased on a graphic novelbyFrank Millerand thus is highly stylized, featuring lots of unique stylistic choices, epic cinematography, and a huge amount of slo-mo. Yet, this hyper-stylization never feels daft or out of place, with each element blending seamlessly together into a non-stop onslaught of death, starting fairly early on and continuing right until the end.
With the use of modern filming techniques and CGI, the 2007 film is able to capture the battle on a much grander scale than the 1962 film, even if this version isn’t completely historically accurate per se. In any case,300has becomethe movie most associated with the tragic yet inspiring tale of King Leonidas I, and it’s because of the techniques used in this legendary sequence.
NEXT:10 Movies To Watch if You Love ‘300’
