The Battle of Thermopylae
“Eat well, for tonight we dine in Hades (Hell)” – King Leonidas. It was the third
and final day at the Battle. Only few hundreds of soldiers were fighting against the armies
of hundred of thousands. They were no ordinary soldiers; they were the most ferocious
warriors ‘Spartans’. These soldiers already knew that they were going to lose the battle
but they were not cowards who leave the battlefield. They win or they die for their
purpose. This was one of the very famous battles in the Greek history called ‘The Battle
of Thermopylae’.
The Battle of Thermopylae was fought in 480 B.C alongside with the battle of
Artemisium against the Greek and the Persian armies. It was fought at Thermopylae,
which was the narrow costal pass and entrance to Greece from the north. By numbers the
Greek army was about seven thousand and the Persians were two hundred thousand. It
seems very one-sided battle by figures indeed it was not. It was three hundred Spartans
who lead few other thousands of Greek army. Spartans were no ordinary soldiers. They
were born as a soldier and they die as one. These soldiers were sent to training at the age
of seven and training become extreme, as they grow older. They were the greatest
warriors. On the other hand their king Xerxes led the massive Greek army of 200,000
soldiers, which includes the 10,000 elite soldier called ‘Immortals’. Xerxes himself was
also trained tough as a warrior and also get education before he become king. The Xerxes
purpose to attack the Greeks was to take revenge and burns Athens the capital of Greek to
the ground.
A small army led by king Leonidas blocking the only entry path for immense
Persian army. The Persian army waits for their other troops to arrive, which was coming
from the straits of Artemisium. But Greek knows about it so they had already deployed
200 ships to defend that coastal path. Meanwhile waiting, Xerxes sent his spy to find out
the Greeks position. Xerxes was amazed by what he heard that the Greeks were striping
for exercise and combing their hair. He sent an emissary to King Leonidas for
negotiation; Greeks were offer freedom in exchange of forfeit the battle and let Persian
army pass. However King Leonidas will never surrender and he told the emissary to
come and take them. Emissary warn the Leonidas “their arrows will block out the sun”,
Leonidas than reply “then we shall have our battle in the shade”.
The Xerxes can’t wait any longer so he orders his men to attack. The 300 Spartans
