After the Battle of Thermopylae, things did not look good for the Greeks. The Greek force consisted of approximately 7000 men, of whom 300 were Spartan hoplites, 700 Thespians, and 100 Phocians, among others. There, it was recorded that he foght fiercely, desperately desiring rid himself of his shame and clear his name. Geography played an important role in the Battle of Thermopylae, as it does in nearly any military conflict. The Greeks fought the Persians with all their remaining strength. This was rejected, but the Athenians, angry at Sparta for not contributing more troops, threatened to accept these terms if the Spartans did not increase their commitment to the fight. The Vale of Tempe provided them with this geographical advantage, but when the Greeks got word that the Persians had learned of a way to go around the vale, they had to change their strategy. Leonidas, one of the Spartan kings at the time (Sparta always had two), led the Greek forces, whereas the Persians were led by their emporer Xerxes, as well as his main general, Mardonius. On at least one key detail Herodotus’ informants were sound: excavations at Thermopylae in the 1930s unearthed arrowheads of an Anatolian design in large numbers on a hill in the pass, confirming both the location and the manner of the deaths. He was even called “Aristodemus the Coward” from then on. Yet, as is often the case, many of the perceptions we have But now, he was mad at the Greeks for their insurrection, and he had his eyes set on revenge. The Persians, who had grown over the previous century to be the most powerful empire in western Asia and the second largest empire in the world, set out to bring the Greeks under their control once and for all. The Greeks were able to hold the Persians at sea for the duration of Thermopylae, suffering similar numbers of … Ancient Civilizations Timeline: 16 Oldest Known Cultures From Around The World. The Greek army, which was made up of Spartans, Thebans, Thespians, and soldiers from several other Greek city-states, totaled around 7,000. The Immortals traveled in the middle of the night and reached the entrance to the pass sometime before daybreak. Seeing this as his opportunity to finally break the Greek line, Xerxes sent a large force of Immortals to find the pass. In the late summer of 480 B.C., the Spartan king Leonidas and his soldiers epitomized this principle at the Battle of Thermopylae. Of the 300 Spartans that remained to fight off the Persian advance, none survived, including their king, Leonidas. This website is dedicated to King Leonidas, the 300 Spartans, 700 Thespians and other Greek warriors who fought to the death during the Battle of Thermopylae (Hot Gates) in August, 480 B.C. However, when we dig a bit deeper into the story of the Battle of Thermopylae, we can see why it has become such a beloved tale from our ancient past. It is believed that he was sending a message asking for additional troops, although this part of the story is disputed. This decision to ignore the gods and fight anyway has helped enshrine Spartan King Leonidas as the epitome of a just and loyal king who felt truly indebted to his people. Like in Marathon 10 years earlier when the Spartans had their religious festival of Karnea dedicated to Apollo, at the end of summer in 480 BC people from all over the Hellenic lands (including those in Africa and Sicily) participated to the Olympic Games. However, Spartan King Leonidas knew to do nothing doomed his people to almost certain death. As a result, almost everyone knows about the 300 Spartans who died trying to hold back the Persian Empire’s 300,000-strong army on its way to conquer Greece. The Thespians held Eros above all other gods, likely because he had no parents. He left his top general, Mardonius, in charge of carrying out the rest of the attack. One in particular pays tribute to the last stand of the Spartans and their Thespian allies on Kolonos Hill, the probable spot where they fell. During this training, Spartan men learned not only how to fight but also how to trust in and work with one another, something that proved to be rather effective when fighting in the phalanx. Herodotus, whose account of wars between the Greeks and Persians is the best primary source we have on these long wars, estimated the Persians had an army of nearly 2 million men, but most modern estimates put this number much lower. One of the reasons the Battle of Thermopylae is so famous is because of the preparations the Persians took to fight it. Thermopylae was chosen for a similar reason. The Games were dedicated to Zeus and war was forbidden when they were held. A major selling point for the Battle of Thermopylae was the idea that only 300 Greek soldiers — specifically Spartans — went to impede the Persian invasion. This simply wasn’t true. While the Battle of Thermopylae has gone down in history as one of the most famous battles in the history of the world, it was really just a small part of a much larger conflict. When Xerxes was finally convinced that the Greeks were not kidding him when they insisted on confronting his vast army, he truly believed it was a given that the complete obliteration of the single-minded defenders of Thermopylae was just a matter of time. Most hoplites were regular citizens who were required to buy and maintain their own armor. Xerxes, confident he would now win the Battle, waited until the late afternoon to give his Immortals the chance to make it through the pass and advance on the remaining Greeks. King Leonidas deemed them unfit to fight and ordered them to return home before the battle. Leonidas got word that the Persians had found the route around Thermopylae at dawn on the third day of battle. Warfare in the Ancient World. It set an example for free men fighting for their freedom and that of their country. Credit: Public Domain. 3. The Battle of Thermopylae took place at the end of August/beginning of September in 480 BCE. Knowing full well that this meant their doom, he told his soldiers it was time to depart. Others attribute the move to the notion that Spartan soldiers never retreated. Meanwhile, receiving word that the Persians had found a way around the Pass of Thermopylae, the Greek fleet at Artemisium turned around and sailed south to try and beat the Persians to Attica and defend Athens. Greece, which operated more as a network of independent city-states that alternated between collaborating and fighting with one another than a coherent nation, had a significant presence in western Asia, mostly along the southern coast of modern-day Turkey, a region known as Ionia. The alliance was technically under the direction of the Athenians, but the Spartans also played a key role largely because they had the largest and most superior land force. The Big Dilemma: Should COVID-19 Vaccines be Mandatory? If you are 13 years old when were you born? But before retreating, an envoy was sent to Thermopylae to see how the battle was transpiring, for they did not want to abandon the fight altogether and leave the right flank of the Greek force at the pass exposed. Worse, the program's director, Dr. Catherine Halsey, had postponed the training of new Spartan-IIs for years due to the specific age selection criteria, despite having candidates who met t… Meanwhile, Darius I sent his fleet to attack Eritrea and Athens. This final victory officially drove the Persians from Europe and removed the threat of Persian invasion. To link to this article in the text of an online publication, please use this URL: https://historycooperative.org/the-battle-of-thermopylae-300-spartans-against-the-world/. Although King Leonidas knew he was probably heading to his death, he intended to inflict as much damage as possible. As much as modern historians question many of the elements quoted by Herodotus, it was in essence a handful of warriors — 300, or 1,000 if we add the Thespians or 5,000-6,000 according to other estimates — standing against an enormous horde of opponents. Is Covid-19 Triggering a Populist Backlash in Greece? The Greco-Persian Wars. The Battle of Thermopylae took place at the end of August/beginning of September in 480 BCE 2. Instead, they’re famous because of how they got to the battle. All of this training meant that the Spartan soldiers, also known as Spartiates, were one of the world’s premier fighting force at the time. Farrokh, Kaveh. It’s far more likely the Persian Army was made up of around 180,000 or 200,000 men, which is still an astronomical number for ancient times. If your web page requires an HTML link, please insert this code: The Battle of Thermopylae: 300 Spartans vs the World, Gods of Death How old is the United States of America? He knew that should they be successful, they would be able to get in behind Greek line, which would have allowed them to attack from both the front and back, a move that would have meant certain death for the Greeks. The Persian forces were accompanied by its massive fleet, and the Greeks had chosen Artemisium, which lies to the east of Thermopylae, as the place to engage with the Persian contingency of ships. Herodotus: Histories. Like Thermopylae, it was a holding action, and the success of each Greek action depended on the other battle. The first is the Battle of Artemesium, a battle fought concurrently with Thermopylae. Second, Leonidas took 1,000 of his men, mainly people from the nearby city of Locris, to guard the relatively unknown passageway that circumvented the narrow Pass of Thermopylae. According to modern historians, he sent his army in waves of 10,000 men, but this did not do much. Sciences, Culinary Arts and Personal The battle constituted a major turning point in history. Greek forces put up little resistance, and Darius I managed to reach Eritrea and burn it to the ground. However, as impressive as the size of Xerxes’ army was,  the preparations he undertook for his invasion are perhaps even more remarkable. The Greeks living there maintained a decent autonomy despite falling under the dominion of Lydia, a powerful kingdom that held most of the territory in what is now eastern Turkey. Nearly 600 years… Unfortunately for him, however, the military leaders also saw a recklessness that was completely incompatible with the discipline which was a key element of the success of the Spartan phalanx. Modern historians believe Darius I retreated to regroup for a second invasion, but he died before he ever had the chance. It forever cemented Thermopylae as a place where ancient… 2. Vol. Only the Theban prisoners and a presumed handful of the Spartans' servants had survived the carnage. Indeed, he fought fiercely and bravely at Plataea and was wounded. To help show this, we’re going to go over some of the key events that took place leading up to and during the battle, and also discuss how the Battle of Thermopylae impacted the overall course of Greco-Persian Wars. He could not exercise or train to fight and he could not marry because no woman would have him. Most of Xerxes’ army was made up of conscripts from around the empire. Nearly everyone took him up on this offer except for around 700 Thebans. Doing some reaserch . The other man, Eurytus, is said to have gone into battle anyhow, led by his servant. The Battle of Thermopylae. This story of Spartan King Leonidas and the 300 Spartans is one of bravery and valor. Fields, Nic. At the end, the Persian lost at the very least, 20,000 men. One can only imagine how motivated they really were to kill their countrymen at the bequest of their imperial overlord. After Leonidas was killed, the Greeks attempted to recover his body, but they failed. But a much more interesting subject of eternal study will be how so few not only did not fear the enemy, but were able to ultimately stop them, defeating them first in the mind and then on the battlefield. In Sparta, being a soldier was considered a great honor, and all men, except for the first born of a family, were required to train at Sparta’s special military school, the agoge. Off to the side of the larger statue of Leonidas at Thermopylae, there is a monument to the 700 Thespians who died alongside the Spartans. The Battle of Marathon had shown that Greek forces would be able to defeat the Persians if they could force them into tight areas where their superior numbers no longer mattered. A Fallen King. In between each attack, Leonidas rearranged the phalanx so that those who had been fighting would be given a chance to rest and so that the front lines could be fresh. How many Spartans survived in the battle of Thermopylae? The Greek phalanx, along with their heavier bronze armor and longer spears, stood strong despite being so hopelessly outnumbered. His son, Xerxes I, rose to the throne in 486 BCE, and after spending some time consolidating his power within the empire, he set out to avenge his father and force the Greeks to pay for their insubordination and insurrection, setting the stage for the Battle of Thermopylae. It was directly on the path of the Persians’ southward advance into Greece, but the narrow pass of Thermopylae, which was protected by mountains the west and the Gulf of Malias to the west, was just 15m wide. But at the time, few Greeks were professional soldiers, except for the Spartiates, who were highly-trained soldiers that ended up having a significant impact on the Battle of Thermopylae. When their weapons broke, they fought with their hands and teeth (According to Herodotus). All of this meant that Xerxes and his army, although it didn’t mobilize until 480 BCE, ten years after Darius I invaded and six years after Xerxes took the throne, was able to quickly and easily march through Thrace and Macedon, meaning the Battle of Thermopylae would be fought before the end of the year. The Persians were meticulous record keepers; but no Persian source has survived. The Greek army, despite being severely outnumbered, were able to fight back the Persians during two days of fighting. Herodotus believed that had both Aristodemus and Eurytus returned to Sparta alive, or Aristodemus alone been ill and excused from combat, the Spartans would have ascribed no blame to him. The force stationed up in the mountains was set to serve not only as a line of defense but also as a warning system that could alert the Greeks fighting on the beaches in the event the Persians found their way around the narrow pass. Only 2 Spartans are said to have survived: 1 fell at the Battle of Plataea a year later, and the other hanged himself in shame. The battle resulted in the death of Leonidas, who became a hero for his decision to remain behind and fight to the death. The Battle of Thermopylae, fought between the Greeks and the Persians in 480 BCE, has gone down in history as one of the most significant last stands of all time, despite the fact the “hero,” the Greeks, walked away from this battle defeated and on the brink of complete destruction. 100s of Spartans were killed in many places, but the question probably refers to the Battle of Thermopylae in 480 BC, and the legend of the 300 Spartans. Leonidas sent the local contingent to defend Anopaea, a single-file pass near Thermopylae, while the 300 Spartans and others remained on the narrow, yet somewhat larger pass of Thermopylae. He had no civil rights and was even obliged to step aside when a Spartan passed by. After the movie 300 came out in 2006, the story of the Battle of Thermopylae in 480 BCE became globally recognized. The Spartans who fought at the Battle of Thermopylae had been trained at this school, but they are not famous because they were good soldiers. Lastly, the Greek army was grossly outnumbered. Although very seriously injured in the battle, he was accused of being insane. Of the three hundred Spartans at Thermopylae, only two survived the battle: Pantites, who had been sent with a message to Thessaly, and Aristodamus, who was also a messenger or — in a different version — was one of two men excused for severe eye infections. This offended the proud Greeks greatly; the Athenians went so far as to toss the Persian heralds into a pit, while the Spartans followed suit and tossed them into a well. Who is the longest reigning WWE Champion of all time? He figured the Greeks would see just how outnumbered they were and eventually surrender. Can the Deadly Earthquake Reduce Tensions Between Greece and Turkey? Madman or not, however, he survived to take part in the Greek-Persian wars until their very end, paying a bitter price for walking away and not returning home dead on his shield from the great Battle of Thermopylae. After seeing his father defeated by a smaller Greek force at the Battle of Marathon, Xerxes was determined to not make the same mistake. Once the Persians had managed to conquer Lydia, they would have been interested in conquering Greece, as imperial expansion was one of the most important tasks of any ancient king. It is thought that the number of Greeks was closer to 7,000. Leonidas, one of the Spartan kings at the time (Sparta always had two), led the Greeks, whereas the Persians were led by their emporer Xerxes, as well as his main general, Mardonius. Pantites, was sent by Leonidas to raise support in Thessaly but returned to Thermopylae only after the battle's conclusion. Before the battle that lasted three days began, Leonidas had ordered Pantites to go into Thessaly. This is because when civilizations were conquered and made part of the Persian empire, they were required to give troops to the imperial army. Much to their surprise, they faced approximatel… However, this does not take away from the fact that the Greeks were severely outnumbered as they took up their positions at Thermopylae. Osprey Publishing, 2007. The Battle of Thermopylae’s political origins can be traced back to Xerxes’ predecessor, Darius I (the Great), who sent heralds to Greek cities in 491 bce in the hopes of persuading them to accept Persian authority. Because of this, the Battle of Thermopylae has remained in our collective memories for well over 2,000 years. They engaged with the Locrians and defeated them, but before the fighting began, several Locrians escaped through the narrow pass to warn Leonidas that the Persians had discovered this critical weak point. However, the Athenians were responsible for putting together and directing the Allied navy. The Greek forces chose to meet the Persians in battle, and they won a decisive victory at the Battle of Marathon, forcing Darius I to retreat back to Asia, effectively ending his invasion for the time being. Here’s a map of the Persian Empire in 490 BCE. The second day of the Battle of Thermopylae was not all that different from the first in that Xerxes continued to send his men in waves of 10,000. The Athenians, who had led the fight against the Persians the first time around, began building a new fleet using silver they had recently discovered in the mountains of Attica. But the Persian soldiers vastly outnumbered them and finally the Spartans were overwhelmed with a volley of Persian arrows. 1. The Persians were destined to face the Greek forces in Thermopylae, where they had set their defense. The SPARTAN-II program had been a dazzling success for the UNSC. That these men were willing to stay behind and fight to the death speaks to the spirit of the Spartan fighting force, and it reminds us of what people are willing to do when their homeland and very existence are threatened. After three days, it became clear to Xerxes the Greeks were not going to surrender, so he began his attack. It was an ideal choice because it gave the Greeks the chance to stop the Persian army before they could advance south to Attica, and also because it would allow the Greek navy the chance to prevent the Persian fleet from sailing to Thermopylae and outflanking the Greeks fighting on land. The story goes that Xerxes, as he made his way into Greece, sent envoys to the still free Greek cities offering peace in exchange for tribute, which the Spartans of course refused. At the time, Xerxes did not know this back route existed, and Spartan King Leonidas knew his learning of it would doom the Greeks. Eurytus, however, turned back again to the battlefield, and though literally blind, met his valiant death very early on in the battle. This would have significantly cut down the amount of time required to make this journey. But a local Greek, who was likely trying to win over Xerxes’ favor in an attempt to receive special treatment after their victory, approached the Persian camp and alerted them to the existence of this secondary route. Although there were 300 Spartans present at the defense of Thermopylae, there were at least 4,000 allies involved on the first two days and 1,500 men involved in the fatal last stand.Still a tiny figure compared to the forces against them—there is evidence that the vast Persian army has been vastly exaggerated—but more than the legend, which forgets some contributors. Découvrez comment nous utilisons vos informations dans notre Politique relative à la vie privée et notre Politique relative aux cookies. His regular army, the well-trained, profession corps known as the Immortals, totaled just 10,000 soldiers. But not wanting to expose those retreating to the Persian advance, Leonidas informed his troops that he would remain with his force of 300 Spartans, but that all others could leave. τῶν Θερμοπυλῶν, Máchē tōn Thermopylōn) was fought between an alliance of Greek city-states, led by King Leonidas I of Sparta, and the Achaemenid Empire of Xerxes I.It was fought over the course of three days, during the second Persian invasion of Greece. It was not a coincidence that all 300 of the soldiers already had male children; therefore their replacement in the Spartan Army was a given. The Greeks were ultimately defeated when one of their own betrayed them by alerting Xerxes of a route around the narrow pass of Thermopylae. Defending the pass for three days, the Greek force was ultimately defeated. Once again, Aristodemus was in a difficult position and was forced to apologize for his stance. But it did also result in the death of Leonidas, as well as his entire force of 300 Spartans and 700 Thebans from the initial tally of 7,000 men. Most believe it is made from Leonidas’ likeness. Aristodemus was one of only two Spartan survivors, as he was not present at the last stand. Herodotus tells us that 20,000 Persians died at the hands of the Greeks at Thermopylae, and that their bodies had to be concealed in hurriedly dug ditches lest Xerxes' army grow disheartened. Part of this force was made up of Spartiates, but the majority were regular hoplites and helots, Spartan slaves. There are three different ways you can cite this article. Anyone could see that the Persians would be back, and so most went about preparing for round two. Below is a bust of a Greek hoplite found at the Athena temple in Sparta. Many like to think these 300 Spartans were the only ones fighting, but they weren’t. In contrast, the Greeks lost just 4,000 men, according to estimates made by Herodotus. Cambridge University Press, 2002. Taking up a defensive position here would bottleneck the Persians and help to level the playing field. Pen and Sword, 2006. It was the most important religious event on the Spartan calendar, and Spartan kings were strictly forbidden from going to war during this celebration. As a result, he consulted the Oracle anyway, and he was denied permission to summon an army and go to war, leaving him with the tremendous dilemma between appeasing the gods and defending his people. The invasion of the Persians into the Greek homelands set in motion the clash of the two greatest powers of the ancient world. Understandably, Aristodemus sought to attain a glorious death at the very next opportunity presented to him. The Spartan society was known for its highly-skilled warriors, elitist administrators, and its reverence for stoicism, people today still look to the Spartans as model citizens in an idealist ancient society. Green, Peter. He did this by tying ships side-by-side across the entire stretch of water, which allowed his troops to easily cross from Asia into Europe while also avoiding Byzantium. The Persian army at the beginning of the battle is estimated to have numbered 180,000 with most of the troops being taken from the various regions of Persian territory. Branded a Coward, Died a Hero: The Story of the Only Survivor... 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Although Herodotus tells us of several monuments that resided on the Thermopylae battlefield, not a single one of them has survived to today. The Battle of Thermopylae was one of many battles fought between the Greeks and the Persians during the Greco-Persian Wars, which took place between c. 499 BCE and c. 450 BCE. Wars between the Greek and the Persians would continue for another 25 years, but there was never another battle fought on Greek territory between the two sides. Most of the Athenian population had been taken to the nearby island of Salamis, and it looked as though this would be the site of a potentially decisive Persian victory. So, in 499 BCE, much of Ionia was in open rebellion, an event known as the Ionian Revolt. Ancient Sparta is one of the most well-known cities in Classical Greece. How many Spartans survived in the battle of Thermopylae? The Greeks (7,000 men) made it to the pass first, but the Persians arrived shortly thereafter. Aristodemus suffered an eye injury and was sent behind the lines, eventually ordered back to Sparta with the retreating allies by the King. After defeating Darius I at the Battle of Marathon, the Greeks rejoiced but they did not relax. On the other side, Leonidas, was following the prediction of the oracle, which had stated that Sparta or one of its kings would be lost while leading an army of dedicated, valiant warriors who were ready to sacrifice themselves along with him. Before going into much more detail about the events that took place leading up to and during the Battle of Thermopylae, here are some of the most important details of this famous battle: 1. After the battle was finally won by the Persians and the remaining rear guard of … Univ of California Press, 1996. Seven hundred Thespians and 300 Thebans refused the order to withdraw and remained with the Spartans. However, the impossible odds the Greeks faced going into the battle combined with the legends surrounding Leonidas and the three hundred Spartans has helped turn this battle and its famous last stand into a momentous event in ancient history.