25 things you didn’t know about your favorite action movies

300 – Far from historically accurate

300 may not be the most historically accurate period piece ever, but it was filled to the brim with action and gruesome war scenes that made it a hit.

In the year 480 BC, the Persian king sends his army to conquer Greece. The finest warriors are found in Sparta, and 300 of those Greek soldiers are chosen to meet the massive Persian army at Thermopylae. Though it seems like a suicide mission, the Spartans are determined to defend King Leonidas as best as they can.

As expected with most films set in a different era, there are inaccuracies. But with 300, there are actually a lot of historical blunders, some intentional, while others were less noticeable.

For starters, some of the Spartan warriors have trimmed beards or no facial hair at all. In ancient Greece, it was not acceptable for a man to shave his beard or else he’d be mocked and made to be effeminate, or it was seen as a sign of mourning. Men were allowed to shave their mustache as long as the beard was intact.

Director Zack Snyder also pointed out how the fighting styles and formations used by the Spartan army were historically inaccurate on purpose. He wanted them to look “cool” for the purpose of the film, so he accepted the inaccuracy.

At one point in the film, King Leonidas mocks the Athenians as being “boy-lovers.” However, it was actually the Spartan army that was (mistakenly) thought to encourage their soldiers to have homosexual relationships, due to the fact that they would live with their fellow soldiers for several decades.

Even though it’s ripe with historical inaccuracies, 300 still managed to be the highest-grossing R-rated comic book film ever — that is, until Deadpool was released in 2016.