September 21, 2017
O ye men who dwell in the streets of broad Lacedaemon! Either your glorious town shall be sacked by the children of Perseus, Or, in exchange, must all through the whole Laconian country Mourn for the loss of a king, descendant of great Heracles.4
After the Greeks finally made it into Thermopylae, they established camp at the wall for what would be seven days total. When the Persian army was eventually visible across the Malian Gulf, the Greek forces held a council of war. Some men wanted to retreat and defend the Isthmus of Corinth, but the Phocians grew weary, knowing their land was just south of Thermopylae. They were right to worry, but they were also right, to an extent, to trust Leonidas when he eased their fears, assuring them that they would defend Thermopylae. Adding to the list of decisions to make, Leonidas eventually received word of a path that could be used by the Persians to outflank them. He decided to place 1,000 Phocians on the mountainside to rectify the possible danger, having no reason to believe they would not prove to be reliable.5 With everything to consider, Xerxes sent an emissary to negotiate with Leonidas, presenting fair terms of surrender. But why would a glory seeking warrior and his people submit to surrender, to the will of another? The answer was that he wouldn’t. Upon refusal of accepting the negotiation terms, Xerxes demanded they lay down their arms, but to no avail. Xerxes allowed four days of delay, only to his dismay. It wasn’t until the fifth day that Xerxes had become angered and decided it was time to commence the battle.6 Xerxes sent a force of roughly 10,000 men, only to prove being incapable of breaking the Greek defense. The Greeks fought in front of the Phocian wall, shoulder to shoulder, taking advantage of the most narrow part of the pass and using the least amount of men as possible. It was then that Xerxes wanted to utilize his elite force known as the Immortals, but they too failed in their attempt to destroy the Greek lines. Xerxes’ military may have been large, but it was impossible to make use of those numbers when fighting in a the confined space. Leonidas continued to use the narrowness of the passage to their advantage, utilizing what is known as a feigning retreat by running away from the Persian line only to turn around quickly and slay troops chasing after them. The fact that the Immortals used spears shorter than the Greeks did not help them either, thus reducing their tactical and geographical advantage even more. Even with such conditions, Leonidas and his company still faced a possible flank. But Leonidas kept in mind where he had stationed the Phocians, to defend against that possibility.Battle of Thermopylae
King Leonidas
Spartan warriors
Kayla Braxton-Young
I really enjoyed reading this article, it definitely talked about things that I didn’t really know about. Also I like how their was a lot of information in this article so that we could really understand what was really going on. I like how there were pictures so that we can visualize what it looked like as reading. I really enjoyed reading this article because I didn’t know a lot about this topic, but I actually learned something.
27/09/2022
7:58 am
Joshua Marroquin
First of all, I would like to thank the author for writing such an entertaining article, it was also very informative. I was very interested in learning about ancient wars and how they started/ended. Since I am doing a project about the Spartans, it was very helpful towards me, since I learned a little bit more on how the Spartans fought.
27/09/2022
7:58 am
Aurora Torres
Yes, I have seen the 300 movie but wasn’t sure if it was a trues story. But after reading this I now know that the Spartans Warriors were actually real Greek fighters that were very courageous, and would die to defend their land and people. I really do admire that they had a very strong leader Leonidas that knew he might have to die in the battle and made them aware that that is what they do to defend what is theirs and show no mercy. I was so caught up on the battle that for a minute there I really thought they had it and were going to win but after reading the part about Ephialtes I knew that their chances were not good at all. Sad to read that Ephialtes, gave up his people so he can be rewarded. Just because of this one person they lost and were killed. But each Warrior died with honor and love for their people. Thank you for this Great Article!
28/09/2022
7:58 am
Abigail Delarosa
This article was full of information and sources. I learned so much more about the Spartan people and just how relentless they were. Your writing was so smooth and was easy to read. I enjoyed reading the article and great use of the image it helped me get a better visual on the battle and where exactly it took place.
29/09/2022
7:58 am
Idaly Oropeza
The Greek and Persian battle lasted for about three days. The Spartans wrote the ancient songs of war. The movie “300” may just seem like any other movie however there is so much more to it. The movie emphasizes the grit of the ancient Greek Spartans. In the movie the amount of combat the Spartans were able to endure is shown. There are a few battles that to this day are spoken about, for example, The Battle of Thermopylae. This famous battle is mainly about honor, courage, betrayal and loyalty. The Spartans not only fought for themselves but for their loved ones back home. When the Greeks made it to Thermopylae, they stayed behind the wall for seven days or a week. After some thought, Xerxes became angry and gave in to start the battle. They fought in front of the Phocian wall, shoulder to shoulder. The whole battle was a big accomplishment for Sparta. They fought with honor and were proud to do so. I loved the use of the pictures. The first picture was of the Greek bust Herodotus. This gave me a good way to visualize who he was. The map also helped me visualize the Persian and Greek movements of the battle. I feel that both pictures help the readers put two and two together. Great article! I enjoyed reading it. You did an amazing job telling the story of the battle of Thermopylae. I found it extremely interesting and fun to read.
29/09/2022
7:58 am
Steven Valdez
This article really brought back a lot of nostalgia from researching about Thermopylae a long time ago. This story really went into great detail on how inspiring and brave the Spartans were. It really showed they would go through many lengths to defend their homeland from Xerxes and the Persians. It was pretty unfortunate that they were betrayed and why it happened. Overall, it was an amazing article!
09/10/2022
7:58 am
Joshua Zemanski
This was an amazing article that showed how brave the Spartans really were. Im writing about a battle as well but just on Alexander the Great and the “Siege of Tyre” where alexander had more of an overwhelming force. Its almost like i get t0 see it on the opposite side as this one. It was a really interesting article and great for me to eat that i see helping me write my article i’m working on.
10/11/2022
7:58 am
Gabriella Parra
It’s interesting that, in just one battle, we can see the differences between the cultures of the Greek poleis. Obviously, the Spartans valued military prowess, or they would have fled with the rest of the Greeks. It’s also interesting that they were understanding of this difference between their own culture and that of other Greek poleis. You picked a great story! One that I was not aware of before reading your article.
18/11/2022
7:58 am
Constantine James Markou
This battle started in the mind of King Leonidas ten years earlier from the Battle of Marathon. At this battle the Athenians , who were lesser warriors , under the General, Miltiades, defeated the Persians at this famous battle. The Athenians were revered all over Greece, and the Parthenon was erected to honor them. The Spartans marched for days to partake in the battle, eager to show off their fighting skills, regretfully they arrived at Marathon , half a day late. The Spartans, deflated though they were, marched back to Sparta, ruing this missed opportunity. Leonidas and his Spartans were not going to miss another chance to express themselves in battle again. After all they were elite warriors, this is what they excelled at, most of their lives. So Leonidas knew , the Persians were no match for his Spartans, and that they will make a stand for Greece and the free world. King Leonidas and his Spartans are immortalized, today for their heroism, courage ,valor and skills as warriors and soldiers. King Leonidas and his Spartans got their opportunity to battle superior forces and they took full advantage of this, and they brought fame for themselves, their families, Sparta, Greece and the free world.
06/07/2023
7:58 am
Halie Estrada
I loved this article, I’ve just recently started to learn more about the wars/ Battles of the ancient world and just how many occured. So to read about one of the most notorious battles was very intriguing to me. I love learning just how these battles/ Wars start and the many good or bad ways they may have ended; and I’m so thankful that in this article the author talks about the battle from point A to point B.
23/09/2022
7:58 am