Eat hearty
“For tomorrow we dine in hell!” Thus roared King Leonidas exhorting his men to battle on to certain death. Or so it goes in the current film phenom, “300,” sold out in theaters everywhere. Critics hated the movie, decrying its lack of realism and flaunting of the truth. But truth in this case may not meet Platonic standards of reality since we know the story only through the writings of the Greek historian, Herodotus, for whom much was hearsay. The bones of the tale are factual- a small band of highly trained warriors from Sparta, led by one of Sparta’s two legendary kings, Leonidas, together with about a thousand irregulars gathered from the Greek countryside held off and slew tens of thousands of Persian troops. It was a brave gesture in defense of a land that was seldom united, and a three-day engagement that gave time and inspiration for the epic battle that followed at Salamis, ending the war with a Greek victory.
Why am I telling you all this? Because, somehow, the movie has struck a nerve in the American movie-going public and inspired a war-or-no-war dialogue as complex as the debate that raged in ancient Greece. The film is not subtle-it is not based on Herodotus but on a popular graphic novel. As such, characters are drawn in broad-brush strokes of good and evil, brave and wavering, honest and corrupt. As a comic book depiction of the horrors of war, “300” is less sobering than a rousing call to arms.
Which begs the question asked by many: Is this a pro-Bush polemic? Weirdly, I think not. The argument for Bush observes that the film depicts King Leonidas battling to preserve democracy against an unwarranted attack by an evil axis from lands that are now Iran and Iraq. Apparently, the Iranian government perceives the film as a threat-it is banned in that country. I see it differently.
To me, if the movie has anything to say about current politics at all, it is an argument in favor of anti-U.S. forces that object to the American occupation. More than that, anti-U.S. insurgents are like the Spartans in their refusal to alien demands that they yield up their “earth and water” – or, in this modern war, oil-and that they adopt an alien political system. To my mind, the crucial clue to the directorial point of view was a long scenic sequence of shock and awe where the Persian army threw every form of flashy armament at the stalwart band of Greeks only to be beaten back by terrorist tactics.
But then who am I to say what the director was trying to say about war? Perhaps, nothing. The Battle of Thermopylae was a great story 2,500 years ago, good enough for telling today. And, in the retelling, I think the lessons become a litmus test for how we feel about our own war. If the movie provokes discussion, that has value in a nation divided. And if it is just an escapist bit of entertainment, it is still an astonishing view of history.
Spartan Lamb
From “The Classical Cookbook” by Dalby and Grainger
Serves 6
It is likely that Leonidas and his Spartan warriors ate “hearty” the night before they marched to Thermopylae. As observant Greeks, they would have had grilled lamb as a sacrifice to the gods. The first and fattest slice of the haunch would have been placed on the altar, hence the Biblical reference to “burnt offerings,” but the rest was a feast for the faithful. Enjoy this ancient tribute to the season.
2 – 3 pound leg of lamb
Marinade
2 cups whole milk
1/ 2 cup honey
2 Tbs. pepper*
2 bay leaves
1 fennel, minced with leaves
Sauce
12 large dates, pitted and crushed
1 cup fruity red wine
4 Tbs. olive oil
4 Tbs. honey
4 Tbs. fish sauce
1. Soak the meat overnight in the marinade. At the same time, soak the dates in wine.
2. Pat dry the meat and rub with olive oil, salt and pepper. Either grill or roast at 400 degrees until medium rare, about 25 minutes a pound. Use a meat thermometer, keeping in mind that it will continue to cook 10-15 minutes after it is removed from the fire.
3. While the meat rests, puree the dates -and boil with the remaining ingredients to thicken.
4. Serve with Greek cabbage: shredded cabbage tossed with cilantro, fennel and rue (if you have it). Boil a little honey with red wine vinegar. Toss with the greens and a pinch of salt.
* The Roman writer, Apicius, from a description in Homer’s “Iliad,” adapted this recipe. Greeks rarely used pepper but Apicius thought it was a fine addition and so do I.