The film shifts focus from the Spartan land battle at Thermopylae to the Athenian naval campaigns led by General Themistocles .
: The film retells fictionalized versions of the naval Battle of Artemisium and the Battle of Salamis, emphasizing Themistocles' attempts to unite the Greek city-states against the Persian armada. Visual Style and Production 300: Rise Of An EmpireHD
: The story details the transformation of the Persian King Xerxes from a mortal into a "God-King" following the death of his father, King Darius, at the Battle of Marathon. The film shifts focus from the Spartan land