What did the 300 Spartans do?

Answer 1

In 490 B.C. the Ancient Kingdom of Persia was the mightiest in the know world. King Darius was ''a living god'', and expanded his fathers' Empire (King Kroisus) furhter and further to the West. The coastline of Asia Minor was at the time heavily colonised by greek city-states, and King Darius conquered them without an difficulties.

But the colonies, with the support of their founding-towns in Greece rebelled, and they were put to the sword. Darius decided to punish the Greek city states for helping the colonies, so in 490 .B.C. he launched an unsucceful campaign which ended wit the battle of Marathon. The Athenian army routed a Persian army many times larger- the outcome of the battle was 6400 dead Persians. The Greeks lost 196 men. The Persian morale was low and the campaign was abandonded.

After his father's defeat, Kind Xerxes decided that he would succeed were his father failed. He gathered armies from all points of his empire, and if we are to believe the ancient Greek historians, this army was a million men strong (modern hostorians put the number to about 250.000).

In 480 B.C. he crossed into mainland Greece, and the Greek city-states became to crumble under his power-The Thracians, Macedonians, Thessalians, Thebans could simply not hold the multitudes of Xerxes army. The remaining city-states decided to act-as quickly as they could they selected aplace were numbers had no importance, and what's more, a place that was suited to the Greek close-style heavy-infantry combat.

The first choice was Tempi-narrow straits located between Thessaly and Macedonia, but as Xerxes' army advanced, this place was abanoned. The next place was Thermopylae, were the mountains made a very small path meeting a sheer cliff that dropped about 100 feet into the sea.

From the Greek side there were initially about 4000-7000 men, with 300 Spartans and their squires as leaders. From the other side lay 250.000-1.000.000 Persians, Scythians, Bactrians, Lydians e.c.t. It was left to see who was supperior in battle.

Although the Persian army were supperior in men, they were serously lacking in armour suited for close combat. It was an army effetive for the steppes of Asia, equipped with light lances, padded armour and shields made of wicker, whereas the Greeks wore bronze breastplates, had bronze shields, iron swords and were familiar with the heavy lance (=dory), an 8 foot spear heavy enough to withstand the turmoil of battle without breaking.

After 4 days of non-stop battle, the Persians losses were around 20.000-40.000. The Greeks had lost about 1000 men. Demoralised and infuriated, King Xerxes (who has nothing to do with the drag-queen on the movie ''300'') put a huge reward for anyone who would assist him to overpower the Greeks. A local goat-herder named Ephialtes (who, yet again, has nothing to do with the hunchback in the movie ''300'') asiisted the Persians and led them behind the main forces of the Greeks.

When the Greeks realised that all was last, the Spartan King Leonidas dissmissed them so that they would put up a second line of defence further south. He himself remained with what was left of his 300, plus 700 Thespians who refused to leave.

The died to the last man.

After the battle, Xerxes decided that he had had enough of battle and bloodshed, leaving his son-in-law Mardonius to finish the campaign with 300.000 men. By this time, the Greeks had managed to put their personal differencies apart and presented a 100.000 strong army. They were victorious.