The Battle of Thermopylae (480
B.C.E)[1] was between the Persian and Greeks
when the Persians invaded Greece (Persian Invasion 480-479 B.C.E). The people
of Greece were in fear because the army of the Persian king Xerxes had begun
their invasion of Greece. Greek cities had come together forgetting their usual
rivalries, trying to stop the Persian invasion. They decided that King Leonidas
of Sparta would lead the Greek army since their reputation was unmatched by any
other Greek state. The Greek army was small because the Spartans were enjoying
a festival called Carneia[2]
which they weren’t allowed to participate in any armed battles.
The Greeks defended a narrow pass between the mountains of central Greece and the sea (Called Thermopylae) it was the rout into Greece from the north. Leonidas the Spartan king who traced his decent back to Heracles[3], led 300 Spartan warriors who were all fathers of living sons[4] and about 6000 soldiers from other Greek cities. They faced the army of king Xerxes of perhaps 100,000 men.
Several days passed after the Persians arrived without the battle beginning. A scout was sent out to find what the Greek position was by king Xerxes. The scout informed the king, who was amazed by the news. The 300 Spartans that blocked the pass were combing their hair and exercising. The king was also warned not to misread the information. “The Spartans did this because it is custom of the Spartans to pay careful attention to their hair when they are about to risk their lives.”[5]
The Persians launched their attack after a long wait. The Greeks defended the pass as they took turns to hold the front line and fought off the waves of Persians. Since the fight was in a narrow space the Persians could not make any use of their greater numbers. The longer spears of the Greeks gave them a much better advantage in inflicting casualties on the Persians.
The Spartans used a clever strategy to overwhelm the enemy. They pretended to retreat so then the Persians would chase after them, but then they would turn back and confuse the Persians which allowed the Spartans to kill many Persians in the confusion[6].
In this manner two days of battle had passed, even with the Persians greater numbers they were unable to get an upper hand on the much smaller army of Greeks. The Persians had lost many numbers but luck was on their side, when a Greek traitor came to inform the Persian King about a path that was only known to locals[7]. This game changing information allowed the Persians to secretly pass through the mountains and come around behind the Greek army. This tactic made it so that the Greeks would be trapped with the Persians in front and behind them.
During the night, the Persian King sent his best soldiers to go on the secret path and take camp behind the Greek army. As the sun rose on the third day of battle, the Greeks had come to discover that they had been betrayed. The Spartan leader, Leonidas chose to stay and fight to the end[8], knowing that his men would never win the battle. He told the rest of his army to flee the battle[9], but the Spartans want to show their courage and continue with their King.
The Spartans along with a few other Greek solders who had refused to leave fought the Persians with all their remaining strength. They fought until their weapons broke, which had them to resort to using their hands and teeth[10], the Spartans were overwhelmed with the arrows that were fired from the Persians as they outnumbered the small army of Greeks.
The Greeks lost the battle of Thermopylae they showed their courage as they fought to their death. The Persians marched right into central Greece, havoc and destruction in his way. The courage that was shown by the Spartans had boosted the Morale of other Greeks, so they didn’t surrender to the Persians right away. Even with the defeat of the Greeks at the Battle of Thermopylae, the courage the Spartan army showed facing the much larger army of Persians, made the citizens of Greece inspired to resist Xerxes which crushed his plan to defeat Greece.
[1] Bradford, Ernle Dusgate Selby, and Ernle Dusgate Selby Bradford. Thermopylae: the battle for the West (New York: Da Capo Press 1993).
[2] Herodotus, The Histories, VII, 206.
[3] Herodotus, The Histories, VII, 204.
[4] Herodotus, The Histories, VII, 205
[5] Herodotus, The Histories, VII, 208.
[6] Herodotus, The Histories, VII, 212.
[7] Herodotus, The Histories, VII, 213
[8] Herodotus, The Histories, VII, 220
[9] Herodotus, The Histories, VII, 219
[10] Herodotus, The Histories Book VII, 225
The Greeks defended a narrow pass between the mountains of central Greece and the sea (Called Thermopylae) it was the rout into Greece from the north. Leonidas the Spartan king who traced his decent back to Heracles[3], led 300 Spartan warriors who were all fathers of living sons[4] and about 6000 soldiers from other Greek cities. They faced the army of king Xerxes of perhaps 100,000 men.
Several days passed after the Persians arrived without the battle beginning. A scout was sent out to find what the Greek position was by king Xerxes. The scout informed the king, who was amazed by the news. The 300 Spartans that blocked the pass were combing their hair and exercising. The king was also warned not to misread the information. “The Spartans did this because it is custom of the Spartans to pay careful attention to their hair when they are about to risk their lives.”[5]
The Persians launched their attack after a long wait. The Greeks defended the pass as they took turns to hold the front line and fought off the waves of Persians. Since the fight was in a narrow space the Persians could not make any use of their greater numbers. The longer spears of the Greeks gave them a much better advantage in inflicting casualties on the Persians.
The Spartans used a clever strategy to overwhelm the enemy. They pretended to retreat so then the Persians would chase after them, but then they would turn back and confuse the Persians which allowed the Spartans to kill many Persians in the confusion[6].
In this manner two days of battle had passed, even with the Persians greater numbers they were unable to get an upper hand on the much smaller army of Greeks. The Persians had lost many numbers but luck was on their side, when a Greek traitor came to inform the Persian King about a path that was only known to locals[7]. This game changing information allowed the Persians to secretly pass through the mountains and come around behind the Greek army. This tactic made it so that the Greeks would be trapped with the Persians in front and behind them.
During the night, the Persian King sent his best soldiers to go on the secret path and take camp behind the Greek army. As the sun rose on the third day of battle, the Greeks had come to discover that they had been betrayed. The Spartan leader, Leonidas chose to stay and fight to the end[8], knowing that his men would never win the battle. He told the rest of his army to flee the battle[9], but the Spartans want to show their courage and continue with their King.
The Spartans along with a few other Greek solders who had refused to leave fought the Persians with all their remaining strength. They fought until their weapons broke, which had them to resort to using their hands and teeth[10], the Spartans were overwhelmed with the arrows that were fired from the Persians as they outnumbered the small army of Greeks.
The Greeks lost the battle of Thermopylae they showed their courage as they fought to their death. The Persians marched right into central Greece, havoc and destruction in his way. The courage that was shown by the Spartans had boosted the Morale of other Greeks, so they didn’t surrender to the Persians right away. Even with the defeat of the Greeks at the Battle of Thermopylae, the courage the Spartan army showed facing the much larger army of Persians, made the citizens of Greece inspired to resist Xerxes which crushed his plan to defeat Greece.
[1] Bradford, Ernle Dusgate Selby, and Ernle Dusgate Selby Bradford. Thermopylae: the battle for the West (New York: Da Capo Press 1993).
[2] Herodotus, The Histories, VII, 206.
[3] Herodotus, The Histories, VII, 204.
[4] Herodotus, The Histories, VII, 205
[5] Herodotus, The Histories, VII, 208.
[6] Herodotus, The Histories, VII, 212.
[7] Herodotus, The Histories, VII, 213
[8] Herodotus, The Histories, VII, 220
[9] Herodotus, The Histories, VII, 219
[10] Herodotus, The Histories Book VII, 225
Sources of Sparta
Source 1D. Primary Source. A 5th century BCE marble figure of a Spartan hoplite, perhaps of Leonidas in memory of his sacrifice at the Battle of Thermopylae in 480 BCE.
|
Source 1C. Secondary source. Modern Illustration of a 4th Century BCE Greek Hoplite.
|
Source 1B. Secondary source of a map of the battle of Thermopylae.
|