The Battle of Thermopylae

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THESIS STATEMENT
At the time of the Persian Wars, King Leonidas saw the Battle of Thermopylae as a way for the Greeks to delay the Persian Advance into Greece.
PURPOSE STATEMENT
Through textual references based on The Battle of Thermopylae, critical analysis and research, it is certain that the Battle of Thermopylae was meant to stall the Persian forces.
INTRODUCTION
Taking into account the lack of numbers in the Spartan army, they could not have picked a better place to host this battle than at Thermopylae. The Spartans battle tactics helped them hold their position for the extensive time that they fought. Despite the size of the vast Persian army, Leonidas fought to the last man. His aim was not on preserving his men but only buying time for the rest of Greece.
LOCATION IS EVERYTHING
The Battle of Thermopylae could not have worked out any better for the Spartans. The mountainous hot springs of Thermopylae were the perfect place for the 300 to lay down their lives. Thermopylae’s landscape was full with mountains surrounding the left and right flank of the Spartans, and had an opening just wide enough for the Spartans to fight while the Persians struggled to squeeze into the close quarters with their massive number of men. The Gorge of Asopos (See figure 1-1 and Figure 1-2) also provided an active defense during the wars. Burn states “it was guarded by a walled stronghold of the local Greeks on top of the cliffs” (Burn 90). This Gorge served as a major obstacle for the Persians. This was the most defended point leading into Greece, and by far the hardest to infiltrate. The Encyclopedia of World Biography states “the Persian army would have to disrupt their formations to enter the mouth of the Pass and once inside would hav...

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... 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.
These valiant efforts were not all for nothing. The 300 Spartans and Leonidas are dead. But they died knowing that their battles would one day help Greece defeat the Persians.

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