How many Persians died in the battle of Thermopylae?

Answer 1

We don't know. The best estimate includes the Spartans lost about 2,300 and the Thespians 1,400 in their last ditch stand to let the other Greek contingents escape. There were other Greek losses.

The Persians lost about 20,000.

Answer 2

There were about 300 Spartan hoplites plus about 2,000 of their Helots (serfs) who were used as light infantry - using javelins, bows, rocks etc

There were also many other city-states fighting with them, in total, there were 7,000 Greeks

On the third day, when the naval battles aimed at destroying the Persian fleet had failed and the purpose of holding the pass was thus gone, the Spartans sent off the other contingents (except the Thesbians whom they suspected of treachery) to take refuge inside the walls of friendly and fought the final battle to cover their withdrawal with the survivors of their 2,300 men.

Answer 3

About 20,000 according to Herodotus.

Another Comment:

Although, Herodotus also estimated that there were 2,600,000 Persians that were deployed to the battle whereas Ctesias estimates the number to be around 800,000. Now, modern estimates stand around 70,000 - 300,000 Persians Deployed.

If you take that into consideration the modern estimates of Persian Deaths could be anywhere around 1,000 - 3,000 in relation to the number of persians deployed.

Response:

The two figures of size and deaths are not inter-related.

Herodotos' figures are his description of the whole military levy of the Persian Empite - stretching from Libya to Central Asia. Xerxes was obviously not going to drag the knife men from Ethiopia (and all the other quaint warrios from elsewhere) to all the way up to Asia Minor, then down througn northern Greece, and have to feed them, to face Greek armoured infantry. Xerxes could afford to take only the pick of the crop - the very best infantry and cavalry.

There are many more realistic and unrealistic assessments and guesses, ancient and modern. The best approach is to look at the Persian commanders and command structure which Herodotos gives, and this points to three corps, each of five infantry and one cavalry division (division = myriad = 10,000). So we get 180,000.

It is not necessary to then divide Herodotos' deaths at Thermopylai by this propoportionate drop, as he is here dealing with an actual event, not a theoretical order of battle. The 20,000 is believable given the intensity and desperation of fighting in the confined pass over three days, and adding in the casualties of the simultaneous three-day sea battle in the neaby strait at Artemesion (which was the purpose of holding the pass - to force the sea battle and destroy the threat of the Persian fleet to the Greek cities and so allow them to send out their armies to join up for the later land battle at Plataia).

Incidentally, we get similar problems on the size of the Persian fleet - touted as 1,200. To get down to reality the authors create storms etc , to whittle it down to its more probable level of a starting 600, and after losses, more like 400 actually involved at Artemesion, and even fewer at Salamis when the absent Egyptian component is deducted. Then again, perhaps the missing 600 were the supply ships necessary to sustain the army from Asia Minor in such a poor country as Greece.

Answer 4

The main historian Herodotos doesn't say anything other than 'many'. This may mean a few thousand, more or less.

Answer 5

About 3,000.

Answer 6

About all 2,300 of them.