Analysis of the Battle of Thermopylae

1519 Words4 Pages

The battle of Thermopylae was the Greek’s first stand against the massive army of King Xerxes, and was the most influential battle of the entire war. Up to this point, the Persian army was seen as too massive and powerful to be stopped. The once warring city-states of Greece knew they couldn’t stand against the Persians alone, and knew in order to defend their homeland they would have to unite. A unity of command was agreed upon; King Leonidas of Sparta was chosen to lead the Greek forces. He was chosen to lead because of the unsurpassed warring abilities the Spartans were so well known for made him perfect for the objective of stopping the Persians. Xerxes and his army landed on the Greek shores of Thermopylae sometime in the summer of 480 BC. The Persian army numbered somewhere around 100,000 to 150,000 soldiers from across the Persian Empire, most of which were slaves forced to join after they had been conquered (Robinson). Their plan was to march into the heart of Greece through the Thermopylae pass, the only path through the mountains. It was here that King Leonidas thought he had the best chance to stop the Persian advance into Greece. The pass was a narrow path between the mountains, which the massive Persian force would be funneled into and have to face the Greeks one-on-one. The Greek army consisted of 300 Spartans and about 5,000 to 6,000 soldiers from across Greece. Leonidas planned to use his soldiers’ better fighting skills to defeat, or at least hold off, Xerxes’ forces until the remainder of the Greek Army could arrive. Before the Persian army advanced to meet the Spartans on the battlefield they sent scouts to find their position. They found the Spartans had built a small wall of stone, nothing that could st... ... middle of paper ... ...iples of war. By taking the path around the main Greek force they succeeded in both maneuvering and surprising the Greeks. By taking the small path around the pass they moved their forces into a position that gave their vast numbers an advantage over the Greeks; an advantage they did not have fighting head on. The Persians also caught the Greeks by surprise by taking the small path around. Even thought the Greeks had stationed a small force there, they had not planned heavily on the Persians finding and using the path. Works Cited Robinson, C.E. (2007). Hellas – A Short History of Ancient Greece. Pantheon Books Bury, J. B.; Russell Meiggs (2000). A History of Greece to the Death of Alexander the Great Lazenby, JF. The Defence of Greece 490–479 BC. Aris & Phillips Ltd., 1993 Cawkwell, George (2006). The Greco-Persian Wars. Oxford University Press.

Show More
Related

  • Battle Of Thermopylae Essay

    2584 Words  | 6 Pages

    The Battle of Thermopylae was the first between the Greeks and Persians during the Persian invasion of 480 – 479BC. The Greek force was very small compared to the Persians but was determined to make a stand against the huge army of 300,000 Persians suggested by modern historians compared to Herodotus account of the army consisting of 1700 000 men. The Greeks chose to defend a narrow pass, or gap, between the mountains of central Greece and the sea, called Thermopylae.

    Read More

  • Gates of Fire, by Steven Pressfield

    2508 Words  | 6 Pages

    In Sparta, Xeones became a helot and he was given to a Spartan soldier named Dienekes. Xeones was trained to fight like a Spartan and later became Dienekes’s battle squire. When Xeones was about twenty, the Spartan king, Leonidas, announced that three hundred Spartan men would be sent on a suicide mission to Thermopylae to hold off the invading Persian army. Dienekes was chosen to go. On the first and second day of battle, many Persians were killed, but only a few Greeks. At the end of the second day, Xerxes found a secret path where part of his army could go through and completely surround the Greeks on the next day. Leonidas was informed of this and sent a group of Spartans, including Xeones and Dienekes, on an unsuccessful mission to kill Xerxes. On the third day, the Persians surrounded the Spartans and they all were killed.

    Read More

  • The Failure of Xerxes’ Invasion of Greece

    2119 Words  | 5 Pages

    Overall, Xerxes’ initial strategy was sound. Before he had even bridged and crossed the Hellespont , Xerxes had established a very good relationship with the Macedonian Empire and had received submissions from city-states down to Boeotia (7.132.1). Essential communications with Persia were secure and Xerxes’ army had a good base for the invasion of Greece proper. However, hindered by the army’s massive size, only slowly did the army advance south – it being midsummer by the time the army had reached Thermopylae (8.11) – with the fleet following down the coast. The size of the army was both an advantage and weakness for Xerxes in this respect.

    Read More

  • Why the Greeks Won the Greco-Persian War

    1577 Words  | 4 Pages

    There are times in history that something will happen and it will defy all logic. It was one of those times when a few Greek city/states joined together and defeated the invasion force of the massive Persian Empire. The Greeks were able to win the Greco-Persian War because of their naval victories over the Persians, a few key strategic victories on land, as well as the cause for which they were fighting. The naval victories were the most important contribution to the overall success against the Persians. The Persian fleet was protecting the land forces from being outflanked and after they were defeated the longer had that protection. While the Greeks had very few overall victories in battle they did have some strategic victories. The Battle of Thermopylae is an example of a strategic success for the Greeks. The morale of the Persian army was extremely affected by the stout resistance put up by King Leonidas and his fellow Spartans. The Greeks fought so hard against overwhelming odds because of what they were fighting for. They were fighting for their country and their freedom. They fought so hard because they did not want to let down the man next to them in the formation. Several things contributed to the Greeks success against the Persian invasion that happened during the Second Greco-Persian War.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Thermopylae And The 5, 200

    648 Words  | 2 Pages

    My primary source for comparison is Herodotus’ Book VII of The Histories, in which he describes the background and facts known to him about the battle itself. The origin of the 5,200 from which this project takes its name is the fact that Herodotus counts not only 300 Spartans but at least a full 4,900 other troops from other Greek regions who fought against overwhelming odds to hold the Persians at bay (Herodotus, 511). While the Spartans may have earned the lion’s share of the glory for their self-sacrifice, the 4,900 or so other soldiers deserve a place in this epic tale of courage and discipline.

    Read More

  • Gates of Fire

    2763 Words  | 6 Pages

    Before Xeones became a squire he tells of the agoge, which is the thirteen year training program for the Spartan youth. He tells about Alexandros and how they became close friends through the years of training. When Xeones becomes Dienekes squire all of his duties change and he started to see more of the battles. He tells of the many battles he was at and what they were like. Xeones explains the bravery of the Spartans when they were in battle and what the individual soldiers were like. Eventually the Spartans learn that the Persian army was coming to take over all of Greece. Xeones then explains what the Spartans did to prepare for the invasion. The Spartan army sent a group of three hundred highly trained soldiers to Thermopylae to defend the pass until the rest of Greece could prepare their armies.

    Read More

  • The Movie 300: Comparison Of The Movie 300

    1057 Words  | 3 Pages

    In history, the events that lead to the Battle of Thermopylae was that Darius began building a whole new army that he wanted to return with against the Persians. The Persian invasions just ended with the Athens at the Battle of Marathon. The Spartans were not the only ones going into battle. Many alliances were formed in order to defeat the Persians including the Thespians, Thebans, soldiers from Mycenae and other Greek states. The battle lasted over three days and for the first two days the Greeks were able to fight off the Persians. “Their longer thrusting spears and their heavy shields and body armor gave them a distinct advantage over the Persians, who were equipped with shorter javelin-type spears, wicker shields, and armor made only of woven linen”(2). The Spartans had great war tactic and

    Read More

  • The Battle of Marathon

    1052 Words  | 3 Pages

    Darius’ first attempt at capturing Athens was a complete failure from the beginning. He sent an army around the northern coast of the Aegean Sea. However, a storm destroyed his supply ships, forcing him to turn back. Two years later Darius tried again. He sent a large army and fleet of about 200 ships directly across the Aegean Sea to seize ...

    Read More

  • Analysis Of The Battle Of Salamis

    1355 Words  | 3 Pages

    It turns out that the Persians were retreating for good, and the battle had concluded. The late September seas were too rough, the sailing season was coming to an end, and Xerxes did not want to take the risk of losing any more triremes, and, or, troops. The Greek underdogs had done it. Although they did not understand the significance of that day at the time, it was one of the most important days in history, and significantly changed the course of the world we live in today.

    Read More

  • The Causes and Effects of the Peloponnesian War

    1350 Words  | 3 Pages

    When examining the causes for the Peloponnesian War, which was between 431-404 B.C., there are a number of causes that factored into the cause of this war. However, one of the most important causes to this war was largely due to the fact that the Spartans feared the growing power and success of Athens. The Spartans were “particularly alarmed at the growing power of Athens” (Cartwright, “Peloponnesian War”). During the Persian war in 479 BC, Athens grew fiercely strong with power with help of its many allies and continued with their no mercy attacks on Persian territories. When the Persians left Greece, Athens further enraged Sparta when they built large and tall walls around its empire in the event of an attack, which was mostly thought to be from Sparta if it happened.

    Read More

  • The Spartan Infantry

    801 Words  | 2 Pages

    So they did, 300 Spartans held Thermoplyae for three days against 300,000 Persians until they were all killed, resulting in a Pyrrhic victory for the Persians.

    Read More

  • Battle Of Thermopylae Essay

    1062 Words  | 3 Pages

    His leadership is extremely significant to the military through this battle. King Leonidas was the captain and leader of the Spartan and combined Greek armies throughout the Battle of Thermopylae. More importantly he was chosen to lead the military into battle. If a Persian triumph had happened in the Battle of Thermopylae, Athens would have been miserable. The Persians trooped easily though the gory passage and on the capital. Fortunately, the city had been banished to Salamis and a trivial resistance waited for Xerxes. Nevertheless this little protection was rapidly slaughtered and Athens was then scorched to ashes. The folklore of Thermopylae cannot be downgraded to a three-day clash where the Persians who are perceived as antiheroes of this conflict, triumph. The daring "hold to the last man" engagements of the Spartans even later when Leonidas died are recollected to this day. Nowadays at Thermopylae, there are two basic testimonials of the fight. The utmost inspirational is of a Spartan directing his small sword onward. In this battle, the model for a perfect leader is born. When an enormous opponent army approaching to dominate and overpower a society, a courageous and knowledgeable leader who will sacrifice his existence for his nation. Thermopylae was not a confrontation that transformed the way society looks at life. Also, I do not believe that this battle prevented

    Read More

  • The Battle of Thermopylae

    1139 Words  | 3 Pages

    ... ready to take on the role of a militaristic Spartan. The tactics they used to take on the Persians were practiced and perfected over years of experience and training. This helped them hold their position for the expansive period of time that they did. This quote from N. S. Gill’s article Battle of Thermopylae states “Spartan King Leonidas was general in charge of the Greek forces that tried to restrain the vast Persian army, to delay them . . . Leonidas may have hoped to block them long enough that Xerxes would have to sail away for food and water”. This quote is saying that Leonidas had not hoped to defeat the Persians but only to hold them off until reinforcements arrived to join the war.

    Read More

  • 300: The Battle Of Thermopylae

    1000 Words  | 2 Pages

    Zack Snyder Produced a movie called 300, and it is related to the battle of Thermopylae. He is indirectly giving lessons to his audiences to think about the Greek history. He tells us to watch the movie 300 to understand the battle of Thermopylae. This battle happened in the year of 480 BC when the Spartans and Arcadians came together to fight for their glory, honor, and freedom against the Persians. There were over 100, 00 Persian soldiers lead by King Xerxes, who battled against 300 warriors of Spartans that was leaded by king Leonidas, and several other hundred Arcadians. The battle lasted for 3 days and after that 300 Spartans were killed during the second Persian invasion of Greece. Although I agree with that MacDonald proclaimed that the movie 300

    Read More

  • Battle Of Thermopylae Essay

    531 Words  | 2 Pages

    The battle of Thermopylae was between the Greeks and Persians 480 BC. The Greek force was very small, however they were determined to fight against the huge Persian army. As explained in many historical sources like Encyclopedia Britannica, when during First Persians war the Athenians beat the Persians at the battle of Marathon, the Persians left the Greeks by themselves for next ten years. During those ten years The Persians were fighting a revolt in Egypt, and their king Darius also died during that period. Nevertheless, Darius' son Xerxes settled the Egyptian revolt and began to plan the strategies to conquer Greece.

    Read More

More about Analysis of the Battle of Thermopylae

Open Document