Battle of Thermopylae: Leonidas vs Xerxes I
- Davit Grigoryan
- Mar 30
- 8 min read
There is a pass somewhere in the mountains, at the world's edge. It guards the way to Greece. But one day, out of the mist, out of the shadows, out of the very night itself, an army came—an army without number, an army that sought to conquer all. This was Xerxes, the great king of Persia. And at the pass stood 300 Spartans, led by their king, Leonidas.
In a world where history is written in the blood of heroes and the echoes of battle carry through the centuries, there is a battle shrouded in legend and mystery. Today, we travel back to the time of Ancient Greece to witness the Battle of Thermopylae.
It was not just a clash of armies—it was a moment when the fate of entire civilizations hung by a thread. But what if there is more behind the well-known events than we ever imagined?
We will delve into the depths of the epic Battle of Thermopylae, uncovering a story of courage, strategy, and heroism and exploring hidden intrigues, unknown details, and the political and cultural context of that time.
Historical Background of The Battle of Thermopylae
The Battle of Thermopylae took place in 480 BC, during the height of the Greco-Persian Wars. This era was a time of significant political and military conflicts between the Greek city-states and the expanding Persian Empire. Greece at that time was a mosaic of city-states—poleis such as Athens, Sparta, Thebes, and others. Each with its own government, culture, and military power. These cities often conflicted with each other over territorial and political dominance.
Unlike fragmented Greece, Persia was a centralized empire ruled by powerful kings from the Achaemenid dynasty. At the time of the Greco-Persian Wars, it was ruled by King Xerxes I. The Persian Empire sought to expand its borders and establish control over important trade routes and territories, including the Greek city-states.
The relationship between Greece and Persia was tense, alternating between diplomatic maneuvers and military clashes. An important precursor to the conflict was the Ionian Revolt, when the Greek cities in Asia Minor, with the support of Athens, rebelled against Persian rule. This event became a catalyst for the escalation of the conflict between Persia and the Greek city-states.
A precursor to the Battle of Thermopylae was the Battle of Marathon, where the Athenians achieved an unexpected victory over the Persian forces. This event greatly boosted the morale of the Greeks and demonstrated the possibility of successful resistance against the powerful Persian Empire.
Leonidas vs. Xerxes
At the Battle of Thermopylae, two great figures clashed—two destinies, two eras: Spartan King Leonidas and Xerxes I.
Leonidas belonged to the Agiad dynasty, which traced its lineage to the mythical hero Heracles, and became king after the death of his brother. Like all Spartans, Leonidas underwent the strict military agoge, an education and training system designed to produce disciplined and resilient warriors. He was renowned for his courage, determination, and Spartan brevity.
Xerxes was the son of Darius I. He ascended to the throne after his father's death and quickly began planning a large-scale invasion of Greece to finish what Darius had started. History knows Xerxes as an ambitious and determined ruler who strived to expand the borders of his empire. However, in some historical sources, he is described as a person prone to anger and impulsive decisions. Xerxes personally led the invasion of Greece, commanding a vast army and fleet.
Preparation for the Battle of Thermopylae
In the Battle of Thermopylae, Leonidas and Xerxes represented opposite poles of military strategy, leadership, and cultural values. While Leonidas demonstrated self-sacrifice and strategic mastery, Xerxes sought to overwhelm him with force and numerical superiority.
The Greeks, under Leonidas' leadership, chose a defensive strategy, understanding that confrontation with the vast Persian army on an open field would be suicidal. The choice of Thermopylae was strategic, as the narrow pass limited the number of troops that could engage in battle at the same time, thereby neutralizing the numerical superiority of the Persian army. In turn, Xerxes expected that his vast army would quickly overcome any resistance, especially after demonstrating its power in previous military campaigns. The Persian army was multinational and included many different types of warriors, which theoretically gave it flexibility in tactics and opportunities for flanking maneuvers.
It is also worth mentioning the weaponry of each side. Greek warriors, known as hoplites, were equipped with heavy armor, including metal breastplates, helmets, shields, and long spears. The Greeks used the phalanx formation, which consisted of tightly packed rows of armed hoplites capable of withstanding large forces in narrow passages. Most of the Persian forces were lightly armed and more mobile. Xerxes' army included archers, infantry, cavalry, and even war chariots, which provided him with a wide range of tactical options.
Battle of Thermopylae
In 480 BCE, the vast Persian army, numbering over 200,000 soldiers and led by King Xerxes, crossed from Asia Minor into Europe through the Hellespont Strait, now known as the Dardanelles. At the narrowest point of the strait that separates Asia from Europe, Phoenician builders constructed a clever bridge by placing ships side by side and laying planks over them. However, a storm arose, and the bridge was destroyed, leaving only fragments. Enraged, Xerxes ordered the execution of the builders and had the sea whipped with lashes so that it would no longer dare to resist his will. Afterward, a new bridge was constructed, and the Persian army continued its march into Europe.
The Greeks sent an army of about 7,000 hoplites to delay the Persians at the outer approaches. Initially, the allied forces aimed to hold Xerxes at the northern border of Thessaly and Macedonia. However, they later retreated to the Isthmus of Corinth, the narrow land connection between the Peloponnesian Peninsula and the Balkans. However, in this case, many of the Greek cities on the mainland would have been left undefended, so the army eventually moved to Thermopylae, a narrow pass in the mountains leading from Thessaly to Central Greece.
The Greek army consisted of permanent city contingents of professional heavy-armed hoplites, sent as an advanced defense while the cities gathered their militias. It should be noted that these 7,000 hoplites did not make up the entire Greek army. From various sources, it is known that there were up to 1,000 Spartan Perioeci(non-citizens) at Thermopylae. Additionally, for every Spartan hoplite, there were seven helots, who were used as lightly armed soldiers.
The Greeks set up camp behind a wall blocking the narrow Thermopylaean pass. This wall was a low barricade made of heavy stones. The Persian army stopped at the city of Trachis before entering Thermopylae. The Persians waited for four days, and on the fifth day, they sent their most battle-ready units, made up of native Medes and Persians, to assault. According to the historian Diodorus, the king sent in the first wave of attackers those warriors whose close relatives had died ten years earlier in the Battle of Marathon.
The Greeks met them in the narrow pass, face to face, while another part of the warriors remained at the wall. The Greeks feigned retreat but then turned around and counterattacked the Persian units. Then, the Persian king replaced the Medes with the Cissians and Saka, known for their warrior prowess. Xerxes' warriors, wearing lighter armor and lacking the drill training similar to that of the Greeks, could not break through the dense phalanx of the enemy, with its solid wall of large shields. Before evening, Xerxes' guard, the warriors from the Immortal unit, entered the battle, but they too retreated after a brief skirmish.
On the second day, the Persian king sent into battle warriors known for their bravery, mostly Koreans, with promises of great rewards for success and death for fleeing the battlefield. The second day also passed with futile attacks. The Persians rotated their attackers, while the Greeks, in turn, relieved each other in battle.
Betrayal of Ephialtes
Xerxes did not know what to do next when a resident named Ephialtes approached him, offering to lead the Persians along a mountain path around Thermopylae in exchange for a reward. The path was guarded by a Phocian detachment of a thousand warriors. An elite Persian unit of 20 men, led by Hydarnes, moved stealthily throughout the night and suddenly attacked the Phocians at dawn. After driving them to the mountain summit, Hydarnes continued moving to the rear of the Greeks guarding the pass. The Phocians sent runners to report the Persians' flanking maneuver. The Greeks had already been warned about this during the night by a deserter from the Persian camp named Tyrrhastius.
The allies were divided in their opinions. The majority, yielding to circumstances, returned to their cities. Only 300 Spartans led by King Leonidas, 700 Thespians under the command of Demophilus, and 400 Thebans remained. Not expecting victory, but only a glorious death, the remaining Greeks engaged in battle away from their previous position, where the pass widened. But even there, Xerxes' soldiers could not maneuver and perished en masse, either in the crush or by being thrown off the cliffs.
The Spartans’ spears were broken, and they struck the enemy with short swords in fierce hand-to-hand combat. Leonidas fell in battle. Among the Persians, Abrocomes and Hyperanthes, the brothers of King Xerxes, were killed.
Noticing the approach of the Persian detachment from the rear, the Greeks retreated to the wall, and then, passing beyond it, took up a position on the hill at the exit from Thermopylae. The Spartans and Thespians fought their final battle. The Persians shot the remaining heroes with bows and pelted them with stones.
Of the 300 Spartans, only Aristodemus survived, as he had been left behind by Leonidas in the village of Alpini due to illness. Upon returning to Sparta, Aristodemus faced dishonor and disgrace. No one spoke to him, and he was given the nickname "Aristodemus the Coward." In time, Aristodemus redeemed his non-existent guilt through his heroic death at the Battle of Plataea.
King Xerxes personally surveyed the battlefield. Upon finding the body of Leonidas, he ordered his head to be severed and placed on a pole at Thermopylae. Herodotus reports that about 20,000 Persians and 4,000 Greeks who fell in battle were buried on the same hill where they made their final stand.
The significance of the Battle of Thermopylae
The Battle of Thermopylae was significant in the course of the Greco-Persian Wars. It became a turning point in the war and played a decisive role in the Greek victory. Its moral significance was enormous. The self-sacrifice of Leonidas and his warriors lifted the spirit of resistance among the Greek city-states. This event catalyzed the unification of the Greek cities in their fight against Persia, which was critically important for the subsequent victories, particularly in the battles of Salamis and Plataea.
The history of Thermopylae continues to be studied as an example of effective leadership and strategic planning in times of crisis and against the odds of a stronger enemy. The battle inspired numerous artists, writers, and poets. It is depicted in painting, sculpture, literature, and cinema, becoming an important element of cultural heritage.
One of the vivid myths is the image of Leonidas and his Spartans as unwavering heroes who preferred death to retreat. Although this is true, such an image overlooks the participation and sacrifices of warriors from other Greek city-states who also fought at Thermopylae. In popular culture, history is often simplified to a conflict between freedom-loving Greece and tyrannical Persia. In reality, both sides had more complex and diverse motivations and political structures.
It is often mentioned that Leonidas and his warriors knew that death awaited them and deliberately went to their certain death. However, historical evidence suggests that Leonidas was counting on reinforcements and did not plan for a senseless sacrifice. The Battle of Thermopylae leaves behind not just a story of war but also profound lessons about the human spirit, leadership, strategy, and the significance of history.
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