|
The well-known Spartan military leader and king, Leonidas,
died at the Battle of Thermopylae. The Battle of Thermopylae was between the
Greeks and the Persians. It was between the years of 480 and 479 BC which was
at the time of the Persian invasion of Greece.
Many of the Greek city-states had rivalries. Athens and Sparta had different opinions on most things. When the Greeks fought, the Greeks forgot about their rivalries to defend Greece against the Persians. When their weapons broke, they would fight with their hands and teeth. The Greeks lost the Battle of Thermpoylae and Leonidas was killed. The Greeks had an interesting battle strategy. The Greeks pretended to retreat from battle and tricked the Persians into following them. When the Persians followed them, the Greeks used their confusion to turn on the Persians. This is how they killed many of the enemy. The Greeks were betrayed by one of their own in the battle. A Greek traitor informed the Persian leader of a secret passage that could be used to defeat the Greeks. Only locals new of this secret passage. The Persians used this to trap the Greeks. The Battle of Thermopylae happened because of the Persian invasion of Greece which was happening at the time of the battle. It was called the Battle of Thermopylae because the Greeks chose to defend a small valley called Thermopylae. Leonidas' death here was seen as a heroic sacrifice. |