The battle of thermopylae the histories of herodotus. Despite being greatly inferior in numbers, the greeks held the narrow pass for three days with spartan king leonidas fighting a lastditch defence with a small force of spartans and other greek hoplites. The battle of plataea was the final land battle during the second persian invasion of greece. The following is a list of the casualties count in battles in world history. If you take that into consideration the modern estimates of persian deaths could be anywhere around 1,000 3,000 in relation to the number of persians deployed. It is one of historys most acclaimed battles, one of. In 480 bc, a large persian army led by xerxes invaded greece. Battle of thermopylae ancient history encyclopedia. Herodotus, the father of history, or father of lies depending on who you ask, estimated persian casualties to 20,000. Thousands of years ago, herodotus and plutarch immortalized spartan society in their histories. Despite knowing that death was certain, megistias stayed and fought. Battle of thermopylae, august 480 bc military history. Essay about the mystery of the battle of thermopylae 2087 words 9 pages the battle of thermopylae was fought between alliances of greek city states, which were led by king leonidas of sparta, against the persian empire led by xerxes over the course of three days, during the second persian invasion of. A novel on thermopylae, the 480 bc battle which went down in history as an example of heroism.
The battle of thermopylae audiobook by captivating. It was fought between an alliance of greek citystates, led by sparta, and the persian empire of xerxes i. Storms and battle inflicted heavy losses on the persian fleet, but the force at thermopylae was outflanked. Herodotus excerpts from book vii of the histories translated and edited by a. Many of these figures are estimates, and, where possible, a range of estimates is presented. Thermopylae, the battle for the west is instead a good, concise recap of the greco persian war. Although the greeks were ultimately defeated at thermopylae, the battle provided enough time for the. King xerxes lay encamped in trachis in malis and the hellenes in the pass. The battle of thermopylae was fought in central greece at the mountain pass of thermopylae in 480 bce during the persian wars. For two days the greeks defended against persian attacks and suffered light losses as they imposed heavy casualties on the persian army. What did the persians do after the battle at therm opylae. In 480 bce, persian king xerxes led a massive invasion of greece. With the persian armys arrival at thermopylae the greeks held a council of war.
Battle of thermopylae, august 480 bc military history encyclopedia. However, thanks to this book by in60learning i learned this definitely wasnt the case. The list includes both sieges not technically battles but usually yielding similar combatrelated deaths and civilian casualties during the battles. Despite their eventual defeat, the greek forces became renowned for. This glorification is apt only because the battle was indeed an important moment in the much larger conflict known as the grecopersian wars. This place is called thermopylae by most of the hellenes, but by the natives and.
Reallife history behind the persian battle in the movie 300. Sparta was a military citystate with two kings that claimed to be the descendent of the demigod hercules. To the greek strategists in 481 bc, thermopylae represented their best chance to stop or at least delay the persian army long enough to allow their combined fleets to draw the persian navy into a decisive sea battle. He betrays the spartans to the persians out of greed for riches, and, it is implied, unrequited love for a spartan girl named ellas. Battle of thermopylae in the persian wars thoughtco. What freedom the spartans fought for at thermopylae was not personal freedom but the freedom of their polis, collectively, from barbarian domination. Lots of detail on spartan training and fighting techniques. Thermopylae is a mountain pass near the sea in northern greece which was the site of several battles in antiquity, the most famous being that between persians and greeks in august 480 bce. What is a good book on the second battle of thermopylae. Persians under xerxes had both a land and a sea force with which they attempted to defeat those greeks who wouldnt willingly accept persian domination, as many greek citystates had already done. Strangely enough, its a book of historical fiction. They send one army to guard the pass of thermopylae to stop the persian armies from entering greece. An epic novel of the battle of thermopylae national bestseller an incredibly gripping, moving, and literate work of art, rarely does an author manage to recreate a moment in history with such mastery, authority, and psychologica. Did the persians really have massive casualties at the.
The battle of thermopylae was the initial engagement between the persian empire and the confederation of greek citystates led by sparta during the second persian. Though briefly checked during the opening phases of the battle of thermopylae in august, he eventually won the engagement and swept through boeotia and attica capturing athens. The battle for the west ebook written by ernle bradford. Essay about the mystery of the battle of thermopylae. The book focuses on the battle of thermopylae but gives an overview of xerxes invasion of greece in order to put the battle into context. The 300 spartans led by the spartan king leonidas met the persians by thermopylae, while the naval forces, which were under the. In addition to the battle itself, the book discusses the persian king xerxes and the.
So the battle of thermopylae included a land and sea component. Thermopylae is a great source of information about the persian invasion of greece by xerxes after the battle at marathon. The spy had caught the spartans outdoors drawn up in lines, outside the rebuilt wall at the middle gate, but they practiced maneuvers that left him baffled. The battle of thermopylae during the 5 th century bc, the persians were out to conquer the world, including the powerful citystates of greece. When thinking of the battle of thermopylae most people myself included probably only think of the 2006 movie 300 by director zack snyder, where a force of 300 spartans fights the persians. The battle of thermopylae was fought in 480 bc during the persian wars. It started under darius the great, who is mentioned in the old testament books of ezra and nehemiah. Casualties for the battle of thermopylae are not known with any certainty, but may have been as high as 20,000 for the persians and around 2,0004,000 for the greeks. The name of it is gates of fire written by steven pressfield. In fact, it was not freedom the spartans fought for, but independence, and thermopylae was but one battle among several in the greek war of independence from the persian empire. The battle of thermopylae is believed to have been fought in august 480 bc, during the persian wars 499 bc449 bc. Plus, the film 300 2006 is based on the battle of thermopylae, showing how this event still lives on in our collective memory. Now, on the eve of battle at thermopylae, demaratus deciphered a strange report brought back from the greek camp by a persian spy on horseback. Having been turned back at marathon in 490 bc, persian forces returned to greece ten years later to avenge their defeat and conquer the peninsula.
Xerxes had amassed one of the largest armies yet known to man, while leonidass troops, a. Frank miller s 1998 comic book miniseries 300, the 2006 film. The main source for the battle of 480 is herodotus, histories, 7. The battle of thermopylae, 480 bc, was a battle in the second persian invasion of greece. National bestseller an incredibly gripping, moving, and literate work of art, rarely does an author manage to recreate a moment in history with such mastery, authority, and psychological insight.
Home book shop wars battles biographies timeline weapons. Falling back, greek forces fortified the isthmus of corinth to prevent the persians from entering the peloponnesus. The greeks, faced with overwhelming numbers, decide on a strategy. Though this book is titled improperly, it is still an engaging reference for the entire war, and would serve as a good introduction for the student who is learning about the greco persian war for the first time. A captivating guide to the conflicts between the achaemenid empire and the greek citystates, including the battle of marathon, thermopylae, salamis, plataea, and more the battle of thermopylae. Did the persians really have massive casualties at the battle of thermopylae. Thermopylae was a very narrow pass that would prevent the persians from using their cavalry in battle. Battle of thermopylae simple english wikipedia, the free.
I know this book is fiction, but it is on the usmc commandants reading list, is taught to the corps of cadets at west point, annapo. It ranges from an indepth view of the intriguing and alien spartan culture to greek terrain and armor, to a background of persian greek relations. It took place in 479 bc near the city of plataea in boeotia, and was fought between an alliance of the greek citystates including sparta, athens, corinth and megara, and the persian empire of xerxes i allied with boeotians, thessalians, and. Responding, an alliance of greek citystates, led by athens and sparta, assembled a fleet and an army to oppose the invaders. The first thing anyone visiting thermopylae will notice is that it looks nothing like it should. Histories book 7 the battle of thermopylae summary.
But the greeks, led by king leonidas and a small army of spartans, took the battle to the persians at thermopylae and halted their advance, almost. An inscription was written by simonides of ceos, a personal friend of megistias, to honor him. The battle for the west is one of those greatly accessible, pleasantly reading, and yet academically meaty history books. Nelson demilleat thermopylae, a rocky mountain pass in northern greece, the feared and admired spartan soldiers stood three hundred strong. Gates of fire is a 1998 work of historical fiction by steven pressfield centered around the famous battle of thermopylae 480 bc, in which a heavilyoutnumbered force of native greeks led by the spartans held the invading army of the persian empire at bay for several days. Whats the best book youve read on the battle of thermopylae. In addition to the battle itself, the book discusses the persian king xerxes and the spartan king leonidas, as well as the battle of artemisium, which was a naval battle that took place concurrently with thermopylae. The greek loyalists battle for six days in a prelude to their ultimate victory. Thermopylae was a small delaying battle in the persian invasion of mainland greece. A captivating guide to one of the greatest battles in.
The greeks spartans and allies knew they were outnumbered and hadnt a prayer, so it was no surprise that the persians won the battle of thermopylae. The battle of thermopylae august 480 bc is one of the most famous military. With the defeat on land, the greek fleet withdrew south after the battle of artemisium. By 480 the persian king xerxes and his army had overrun much of greece, and. This figure also takes into account all three days of the battle, so its impossible to tell. How many persians did the 300 spartans kill before being. They were able to inflict very heavy casualties on the persians attacking. In fact, herodotus account of the battle, in book vii of his histories, is such an important source that paul cartledge wrote. In the 1962 film the 300 spartans, ephialtes was portrayed by kieron moore and is depicted as a loner who worked on a goat farm near thermopylae. I mean in most moviescomicswhatever you seeread that the persian casualties were massive. Battle of salamis, 480 bc, battle in the greco persian wars in which a greek fleet defeated much larger persian naval forces in the straits at salamis, between the island of salamis and the athenian portcity of piraeus. What did the persians do after the battle at thermopylae.
Large battle casualty counts are almost impossible to calculate precisely. A critical point in this invasion was the battle for the pass at thermopylae hot gates in greek. For three days a small force of greeks defended a narrow pass from a huge persian army. The list includes both sieges not technically battles but usually yielding similar combat. A captivating guide to one of the greatest battles in ancient history between the spartans and persians. The death toll for the persians is in the high thousands. The battle of thermopylae august 480 bc is one of the most famous military defeats in history, and is best known for the fate of the 300 spartans, killed alongside 700 thespians on the final day of the battle greco persian wars. In 490 the persian emperor darius had sent an invasion force across the aegean to punish eretria and athens for their support of the ionian revolt.
Review written 01252019 this book is a history of the battle of thermopylae and the second greek and persian war. Based on information from herodotuss the histories book vii, the date of ephialtess betrayal. He well uses both modern and ancient sources to tell the story not just of the battle of thermopylae, but also of the whole war in which it took place. A narrow mountain pass, thermopylae was a bottleneck through which the persian army somehow had to proceed. After three days resisting the much larger persian army of xerxes i, greek forces were betrayed by ephialtes and sent into retreat by their leader, leonidas, who died during a. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read thermopylae. The battle was fought for over three days, at the same time as the naval battle. Battle of thermopylae date, location, and facts britannica. After three days resisting the much larger persian army of xerxes i, greek forces were betrayed by ephialtes and sent into retreat by their leader, leonidas, who died during a final stand.
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