Ah, the Thermopylae myth—like a polished bronze tablet that hides more rust than gleam. The core truth is the 300, but the numbers, the tactics, the weather—all get swept into legend. Reenactors can certainly dramatize the camaraderie and resolve, but they’ll need to balance theatrics with the fact that the Greeks were a ragtag force of 1,000 men, not a spotless Spartan squad. Show the mud, the exhausted veterans, the raw, imperfect strategy, and you’ll let the audience feel the grit, not just the glory.