What is the historical significance of the battle of Thermopylae?

Answer 1

It is difficult to ascribe moral values to war. The best that can be said is that war is often a necessity in genuine self defence.

Thermopylai provided morale to the Greek side, that the Persian army of 2 or 3 hundred thousand could be held up for three days by a force of about 5,000. This was counterbalanced by the failure of the naval action in the nearby strait (which the Thermopylae defence was desighed to precipitate) to deliver the Greeks from the threat of amphibious invasion of their home cities.

Answer 2

It was a delaying action at the pass at Thermopylai during the Persian invasion of mainland Greece in 480 BCE. A combined force of Greek cities held the pass for three days, and the Spartan contingent of 2,4000 continued to hold the pass to the death to let the others get safely away - a noble sacrifice.

Answer 3

It makes interesting reading, and is used as a story of self-sacrifice.

The reality is that it was a blocking force which, by holing the pass, would force a naval battle in the nearby strait at Artemsion as the Persian fleet tried to turn the positin to lt its army trough. The Greek strategy was to destroy the Persian fleet which threatened the Greek cities, which consequently kept their armies at home preotecting themselves. If the Persian fleet was destroyed, the Greek cities would send out their armies to combine against the Persian army.

When the Persians defeated the Greek fleet at Artemesion, the holding force at Thermopylae was withdrawn as its mission was over. The Spartan and Thespian force remained to cover this withdrawal, and sacrificed themseves.

The naval plan was repeated at Salamis and succeeded in defeating the Persian fleet, with the following land battle at Plataia defeating the land invasion.