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The Battle of Thermopylae happened at the beginning of the second invasion of Greece by Persians. Darius I in his desire to conquer Ellas sent ambassadors to Sparta to ask for submission, but they were thrown to the pit. The first invasion suffered a defeat; later the Battle of Marathon took place. Darius died during the preparation for the next campaign, and his son Xerxes ascended the throne (Lutton). He continued the deeds of his father. Xerxes spoke: Persians, it is not I who have introduced this law of conquest among us; I follow what I have received from others (Herodotus). He gathered a huge army and navy and set out for Greece.
But the main purpose of the Persian campaign remained Athena. The reason for it is that at the Battle of Marathon Greeks defeated Persians in the first invasion (Bradford).
Themistocles, the respected Athenian general, proposed to block the Persian army at two places: at the pass of Thermopylae on land and the Straits of Artemisium in the sea. Greek city-states were led by Sparta. From the age of six boys were trained for the phalanx&the duty of the men was to fight, and if necessary die, in battle&the noblest sacrifice of the man was dying in battle (Bradford). We may consider education, religion, leisure, and family as the preconditions of the military-style of Spartans (Nagle). Thermopylae means The Hot Gates , and the battle was really hot.
The Persian army numbered millions, but an allied force of 7,000 men held up the invaders for seven days before one of the most famous last stands happened. The Greeks were betrayed, and the Persians were shown a path to come behind the Greeks. Leonidas remained to guard the rear, dismissing the main parts of the army, as he was ignorant of the betray. Leonidas now conducted from the Isthmus to Thermopylae a select band of 300 Spartans all being citizens of mature age, and persons who left at home sons to supply their places (Grote). He called a council of war and many commanders withdrew without orders or ordered by Leonidas. He resolved to stay and fight. He knew that this was his last shelter, but did not leave the battlefield. The Thespians and Helots stayed with Leonidas.
The reasons for this decision are controversial. Leonidas could be guided by the laws of Sparta, according to which retreat meant disgrace, or by the prophecy that he was committed to sacrificing himself for the sake of Sparta. The prophecy by the Oracle in Delphi, Pythia by name, came true. And there could be one tactical reason to provide a rearguard. In such a case, the Greeks could get away, and Persian cavalry would have no possibility to defeat the Allied contingents. Leonidas is believed to be one of Heracles descendants, and his craving for courage could be inborn.
The next morning Xerxes began his advance, while the Greeks sailed to meet his army in the wider part of the pass. It was conceived to kill as many Persians as possible. During the battle, Leonidas died and the struggle continued over his body. The Allies tried to protect it but failed to do that. The Greeks used all the spears to strike the enemy, the Persians every arrow to kill the Allies. The body of Leonidas was crucified, his head was cut off. After forty years after this rage of Xerxes, the bones of Leonidas were returned to Sparta.
Although the Battle of Thermopylae was a defeat of the Greeks, contributing to the Persian victory, it is one of the most famous heroic struggles. Nevertheless, it meant the tactical and strategic victory of the Persians. The threat to Peloponnese was deflected only after the Battle of Salamis. The Battle of Plataea and Mycale reduced the menace of the Persian invasion.
Works Cited
Bradford, Alfred S. 2001. With Arrow, Sword, and Spear: A History of Warfare in the Ancient World. Westport, CT: Praeger.
Grote, George. 2001. A History of Greece: From the Time of Solon to 403 B.C. London: Routledge.
Herodotus. On the War for Greek Freedom: Selections from the Histories. 2003. Indianapolis: Hackett.
Lutton, Edward Bulwer. Athens: With Views of the Literature, Philosophy, and Social Life of the Athenian People. 2004. NY: Routledge.
Nagle, D. Brendan. 2006. The Ancient World: A Social and Cultural History. Upper Saddle River, NJ Pearson/Prentice Hall.
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