Filmic and other forms of historical representation in the history classroom: ancient Sparta

Abstract

The aim of the present research was to examine whether a film is considered a more accurate source of knowledge about historical times when it is compared to the graphic novel it was inspired by, a poem and primary historical sources that deal with the same events depicted in the film. For that purpose, we used the film 300, which depicts the battle of Thermopylae and the Spartan agogi, as well as the role of the ephors in the Spartan political system. The data analysis validated that the cinematic representation is considered the most accurate and pedagogically appropriate representation of the past by the students, even though the limitations of the medium are thoroughly demonstrated in the classroom.