@ff11: It was a different matter than you make it out to be.
Xerxes grew up with every intention of doing what his father failed to do: Subjugate Greece. From the day he was born, so the histories say (even the Persian ones we’ve had access to).
Xerxes first tried to do this by inviting the leaders of the most powerful city-states, Athens, Sparta and a couple others, to his capital to woo them with his power and splendour. Nearly all turned him down flat. Those who accepted did not return to their homes.
Then he invaded. The refusal of his invitation is the insult referred to in the (historically mostly inaccurrate) movie “300″
Knowing a bit more of the history than what is portrayed in the (again, filled with glaring historical errors) movie helps keep a person from saying silly things about what was protrayed.
