480 BC
On the arrival of Xerxes at Thermopylae, he found that
the place was defended by a body of three hundred
Spartans and about seven thousand hoplites from other
states, commanded by the Spartan king Leonidas.
Xerxes learning about the small number of Greek forces
and that several Spartans outside the walls were
exercising and combing their hairs, in his perplexity,
immediately called Demaratos to explain him the meaning of
all these. Demaratos told him that the Spartans will defend
the place to the death and it was custom to wash and
dress their hairs with special care when they intended to
put their lives in great danger. Xerxes who did not believe
Demaratos, delayed his attack for four days, thinking that
the Greeks as soon as they would realize his great forces
will disperse.
He sent also heralds asking to deliver up their arms. The answer from
Leonidas was "Come and Take Them" (Molon Labe)
A Spartan, who was told about the great number of Persian soldiers, who
with their arrows will conceal the sun, he answered: "So much the better,
we will fight in the shade".
At the fifth day Xerxes attacked but without any results and with heavy
losses, though the Medes fought bravely. He then ordered his personal
guard the "Immortals", a body of ten thousand consisting from the best
Persian soldiers, to advance. They also failed and Xerxes was observed to
jump from his throne three times in anger and agony. The following day they
attacked, but again made no progress.
Xerxes was desperate but his luck changed when a Malian
named Ephialtes told him about a secret path across the mountain.
Immediately a strong Persian force was sent, guided
by the traitor. At day's break they reached the summit, where the Phokian
army was stationed and who upon seeing the Persians fled.
When Leonidas learned all these incidents, he ordered the council of war to
be summoned. Many were of the opinion that they should retire and find a
better defendable place, but Leonidas, who was bound by the laws of
Sparta and from an oracle, which had declared that either Sparta or a
Spartan king must perish, refused. Three hundred Spartans and seven
hundred Thespians took the decision to stay and fight. The rest were
permitted to leave, with the exception of four hundred Boeotians, which
were retained as hostages.
Leonidas did not wait the Persian attack, which was being delayed by
Xerxes and advanced in the path, he fell upon the Persians. Thousands of
them were slain, the rest were driven near the sea, but when the Spartan
spears broke, they started having losses and one of the first that fell was
king Leonidas.
Around his body one of the fiercest battles took place. Four
times the Persians attacked to obtain it and four times they were repulsed.
At the end, the Spartans exhausted and wounded, carrying the body of
Leonidas, retired behind the wall, but they were surrounded by the enemy,
who killed them with arrows.
On the spot, a marble lion was set by the Greeks in honor of Leonidas and
his men, together with two other monuments near by. On one of them, the
memorable words were written:
"Oh stranger tell the Lacedaemonians, that we lie here, obedient to their laws".
