Moaveni identified two factors which may have contributed to the intensity of Iranian indignation over the film. First, she describes the timing of the film's release, on the eve of Norouz, the Persian New Year, as "inauspicious." Second, Iranians tend to view the era depicted in the film as "a particularly noble page in their history". Moaveni also suggests that "the box office success of "300", compared with the relative flop of "Alexander" (another spurious period epic dealing with Persians), is cause for considerable alarm, signaling ominous U.S. intentions".