»Greek matrix explanation«

In all three Matrix there are so many parallels i do not know where to begin. First, the basic concept can be boiled down to Plato's allegory of the cave. In this allegory written over 2,000 years ago is about a man who all his life has been kept in a cave. His reality is one of only shadows traveling across the wall. When he is realised into the world he doubts what he says but eventually takes it as the truth. However, when he returns to thye cave his fellow cave-mates(?) chastize him for not caring about the passing shadows. As you can see, not exactly the same thing but similar enough to comment on.
Secondly, the characters/ names of things in the Matrix reflect those in the Greek time period. Morpheus, fir example, was the Greek god of dreams. In the Matrix he takes people in and out of a dream world. Nachbanazzar (I don't feel like looking up how to spell it) was a Babylonian king at the time of the Greek Empire, it is also Morpheus' ship in the matrix. Lastly in the Matrix the Oracle is very similar to the Greek Oracle at Delphi. This link is even more clear when one sees the similarity in the Merovingian asking for the Oracles' eyes just as they were in the historacle stories. In addition, the wise people in Greek mythology were often without eyes. i.e. Oedipus, Homer, ect
The last huge connection is how the movie goes along with the Greek Persian Wars. In the Persian War there were three battles, the one of Marathon, Thermapolye, and Sardis. The three battle format can be seen as a Trilogy format. The battle Marathon was a the first Greek(humans) battle aganist the Persians(machines). The battle of marathon was small and resulted in a Greek victory. A runner then sent out and ran close to 24 miles back to Athens to tell of the victory. When he arrived he announced victory and then keeled over dead. This can be seen as the first movie, or as Niobe discovering the impending attack and then racing back to Zion.
The second battle is that of Thermopayle. This was a battle in which the Persians were trying to enter into mainland Greece. Althogh, the Greeks had a smaller army, including 200 fierce Spartans, they managed to hold out for 2 days. It looked as if the Greeks had held of their enemies but a traitor showed the Persians a secret pass and they were able to reach the Greek mainland anyway. This can be seen as the battle to cut the machines off at the pass on the way to Zion. The humans fought bravely until, Blane, a traitor, hit an EMP knoking out the human fleet and letting the machines continue to Zion.
The last battle was that of Sardis. The huge Persian army was headed to Greece, like the huge machine army was headed for Zion. The Greeks did what any good Matrix character would in a time of trouble-they went to the oracle for advice. Just as Neo and the gang did the humans got advice from the oracle. The oracle proceeded to babble on about something about wood. The Greeks interpreted this as boats and thought they should fought the battle at sea. The Athenians evacuated the city and left for the island of Sardis. The Persians proceeded to burns Athens to the ground and the brought over thousands of ships from Persia to the piont where, like the machines, there was around 1 Persian ship for every man, woman, and child living on Sardis. This means that a Greek ship was outnumbered by at least 25 to 1. The Greeks planned to bottleneck all the ships in the short distance between coasts. This was also the plan of the the humans during the final battle. Finally the Greeks defeated the Persian fleet by setting a fire the almost carpet of boats on the sea. The Persian fleet were bottled up and that led to their defeat. This is reminicent of how all the Agent Smiths exploded after the machines destroyed the Neo Agent Smith.

As one can see the Matrix was very influecenced by the acient Greek civilization and myths.

And Sophia thought she had a good case. Wow, just wow.

I like the parallels. It's quite good, and it's innocuous, which is something I really do like. Read Gates Of Fire, by Steven Pressfield. An amazing account of Thermpolyae. And it was only 200 warriors, Spartans, and it was six days they lasted, old boy. That's beyond the Matrix, so far.

Being a Classics student, I can't help but poke holes in this theory.

- It was 300 Spartans at Thermopylae. Supported by about 6700 allied Greeks
- Nebacanezzar was a Babylonian king, indeed. But why would you name the ship of the hero of the film after the capital of a rival empire? It isn't consistant.
- Morpheus is indeed the Greek god of dreams and sleep, but it seems as if it's just there to add depth to the film.
- If you want to make the analogy with the Matrix and the Greco Persian war, why do you select three battles? You leave out many other encounters, such as the naval encounter at Salamis bay, Platea. Both of these are signifigant battles.
- And on the above note, the Spartans were completely slaughtered at Thermospylae. Indeed, they were betrayed by a goat herder. He led them through foothills to flank the Greeks. Since you have such an indepth analysis of this, why is the traitor in the film a captain(I think?), and in reality, was a goat herder. Then, after the Spartans were defeated, the Persian went on to sack Athens. It doesn't add up.
- The comment on the Oracle was more or less accurate. Except, in mythology, blind people are wise, as you said. While this makes sense in the way that Neo became blind, and suddenly more wise, the Oracle comment doesn't make much sence.

There are many allusions to Greek history and mythology, but it isn't heavily influenced.

All good points Dienekes but, like me, I believe that the W brothers were just interested in the finer points of Greek history and therefore, not have known of the less taught skirmishes. Secondly, these connects I made may have been purely coincidental I was just speculating on possible influence, not accusing the movie of setting the main persian War battles in the future, or any of them for that matter. This expose (smirk) was only my second post. I did it on an impulse and did not research it beforehand. I tried to only suggest a topic not prove one.

Oh, indeed there is Greek history and Mythology allusions in the films, but it's there to provide depth. I highly doubt that there is anything beyond that, quite frankly.

Dienekes wrote:

But why would you name the ship of the hero of the film after the capital of a rival empire? It isn't consistant.

Well didn't king Nebuchadnezzar take people from Zion to babylon? In the movie the ship Nebuchadnezzar takes people from the Matrix/Babylon to Zion, it seems the W's like this whole reverse thing. Like Alice followed a white rabbit from the real world into a wonderland, Neo follows a white rabbit from the wonderland of the Matrix into the real world.