The Battle of Thermopylae

The Battle of Thermopylae

In the 5th century BC, the Persian Empire battled the Greek city-states in one of the most significant struggles in history. Persia exemplified the old ways. On the other hand, the Greeks had abandoned the idea of god-kings and were beginning to try a new political concept of freedom. They wanted to innovate in art, literature, religion, and philosophy. Regardless of those essential differences, the most memorable battle between Greeks and Persians would center on less idealistic and more universal factors: the training, skill, determination, and courage of a small group of free men.

The extensive journey to the battle at Thermopylae began in the Persian Empire. They were young, aggressive and dangerous. In 499 BC, many Greek cities in Asia Minor rebelled against the Persian King Darius. When he learned that the city of Athens had assisted his subjects in Asia Minor, he was livid. From then on he was obsessed with defeating Athens. After losing the first Persian War, Darius' son Xerxes continued his escapade.

According to Greek historian Herodotus, Xerxes spent over four years amassing an astonishingly large and diverse group of soldiers. One Persian unit, the Immortals, was chiefly valued. They were so vast; any dead soldier was replaced so swiftly that its 10,000-man strength never seemed to diminish. His army equaled approximately 1.7 million. With ship-borne fighters and European allies added there were 2.6 million. Herodotus' counts may be exaggerated, although it is unknown by how much. In any case, Xerxes' army was a vast, awe-inspiring force. Like his father before him, he sent messengers ahead demanding the traditional tokens of submission, earth and water. Only two cities were spared this ultimatum. Xerxes recalled the fate of the messengers his father sent to Athens and Sparta. The Athenians had thrown them into a pit. In Sparta, the Persians were shown where to find the tokens they sought by being pushed down a well.

With Xerxes was Demaratus, a former king of Sparta. At one point Xerxes asked him if anyone in Greece would dare resist his force. The exile replied:

They will never accept thy terms, which would reduce Greece to slavery; and further, they are sure to join battle with thee . . . if a thousand of them should take the field, they will meet thee in battle, and so will any number, be it less than this, or be it more . . . I would contend with right good will against one of those persons who boasts themselves a match for any three Greeks . . . when they fight singly, are as good men as any in the world, and when they fight in a body, are the bravest of them all. For though they be freemen, they are not in all respects free; Law is the master whom they own; and this master they fear more than thy subjects fear thee. Whatever he commands they do; and his commandment is always the same: it forbids them to flee in battle, whatever the number of their foes, and requires them to stand firm, to conquer or die.

An overconfident Xerxes laughed at this, but would later regret not taking him seriously. Author Bella Vivante explains:

Xerxes, who is convinced that his own soldiers have a superior capacity to face danger because of their fear of him as they are driven by the lash into battle, shows his utter inability to understand the mentality of free men.

The Spartans decided to construct a wall across the Isthmus of Corinth, protecting only the southernmost part of Greece. There were hot springs and the remains of an old wall with gates, hence its name, the "Hot Gates." The Greeks elected to draw the line at Thermopylae. This was their chance to delay the Persian army long enough so they could draw the Persians into a naval battle. It was a narrow mountain pass that the Persian army had to go through. The Greek force was much smaller than its enemy's. There were 300 Spartans along with about 4,900 other Greeks including Arcadians, Thespians and Phocians.

King Leonidas of Sparta had been placed in overall command of the Greek army. Leonidas himself chose the 300 Spartans under his command. All of them were middle-aged with children to leave behind. He chose men to die. They were trained to do their duty, and having received an oracle that Sparta's king must die or city be destroyed, Leonidas knew what his final duty was.

In 480 BC, the Persian army encamped a short distance from Thermopylae. Xerxes stopped his troops for four days, expecting the Greeks to tremble and flee. By the fifth day the great king could wait no longer. He sent forward his first wave of troops, Medes and Cissians, to take the Greeks alive. They were given heavy casualties. Infuriated, Xerxes sent in his Immortals. The Persian troops advanced envisioning an easy victory, but did not succeed.

Xerxes had not anticipated this. The tight battlefield