Battle of Thermopylae

In general – 480 B.C.

– Reason – The persian invasion was delayed by the Athenian victory at
the battle of Marathon and Xerxes wanted to fullfil his father´s will
○ The battle took place at the pass of Thermopylae (Hot gates)
lasted for 3 days
○ Fought between the aliance of Greek city led by Sparta and the
Persian Empira of Xerxes I
○ It took place over three days simultaneously with the naval
battle at Artemisium
○ The idea came up from the athenian goral Themistocles, who had
proposed to block the Persian advance at the pass of
Thermopylae

○ Xerxes had amassed a huge army – (5mil Herodotus) – 250 000

according to today´s researches
○ The Greece army – greatly outnumbered – managed to hold up
the Persians for 7 days in total
The Greece army comprised of approx. 7000 soldiers including
300 Spartans

The composition of Athenian army – Spartans, Lacedaemonians, spartan

Helots, Thespians, Arcadians, Thebans and others

○
○ Eventually betrayed by a local resident called Ephialtes by
revealing a small path leading behind the Spartans
 Aware of being outflanked, Leonidas dismissed
predominant part of the army, so they could defend other
cities – by doing so, he prevented them from getting
caught up and killed by the Persians
 Remained with 300Spartans, 700Thespians, 400 Thebans
and some others
 Got closed from both sides
○ One of the Greeks warned that Persians have so many arches
that thein arrowes would block out the sun.. : „well, said the
Spartan Dionikies: we will fight in shade  - very pugnacious

The weapons and battle tactices

○ Persians – arches, infantry, wicker shields and short swords

○ Greeks – the dominan military arm in ancient Greece was infantry
and the Spartan one eclipsed all others.
 spears (phalanx – like a forest of pike of seven and a half
to nine feet in length) short, short swords (Ziphos)
 They stood shoulder to shoulder with a forest of the spears
• This formation undefeatable
Battle of Thermopylae
 Their shields were so large they could serve for carrying
wounded This shield protected its bearer's left side and front, and
extended far leftward to protect his neighbor's right side
 Dependence upon a neighbor's shield encouraged each hoplite to keep
rank


Course of the battle

First day
– The battle started on the fifth day ot Persian´s arrival at Thermopylae
hen Xerxes finály resolved to attack
○ At first, he just sent Medes and Cissians against the Greeks to
take them prisoner and bring them before him. Then they found
themselves launching a frontal assault on the Greek position.
○ The Greeks fought in front of the Phocian wall, at the narrowest
part of the pass
○

Second day

Third day

The consequences
– Both of Xerxes´ brothers died
– After every Greek was dead, Xerxes ordered to find Leonidas´ body, cut
his head off and stick it to a pole – scarce act – Persians usually treated
the defeated enemies with respect
– When Xerxes saw the result of the first assault, he sent his Immortals,
an elita corps of 10,000men – however, Immortals fared no better than
the Medes had