Real life inspiration: King Leonidas of Sparta

In reality: In 480 BC at the Battle of Thermopylae - as detailed almost entirely by Herodotus - an alliance of Greek city-states fought the invading Persian Empire at the pass of Thermopylae. Vastly outnumbered, the Greeks held back the Persians for three days with a small force led by King Leondis of Sparta.

In the movies: King Leonidas was immortalised in the 2007 summer blockbuster '300'. Played by Gerard Butler, he hacked and slashed his way through the film, screaming: "For Sparta" a few more times than was really justified.