Battle of Thermopylae
At a glance:
- Series: Magill’s Guide to Military History
- Categories: Military History
- Subcategories: Wars, Battles, Hellenistic Age, Ancient Greece
- Curriculum: Scandinavian History, Western Civilization/European History, Ancient History
- Geographical Location: Greece, Greece (ancient)
- Date: 480
Article abstract: Type of action: Ground battle during the Greco-Persian Wars. Result: Persian victory.
In 480 b.c.e., the Greeks established a line of resistance against the Persians at Thermopylae, 135 miles north of Athens. The site was chosen because Thermopylae was a narrow pass where a small force could delay the massive Persian army, forcing them to fight where superior numbers held no advantage. The Greek force contained 300 full Spartan citizens (each accompanied by seven slaves), 1,100 Boeotians, 2,120 Arcadians, and 680 Argives. Their strategy was to...
[The entire page is 311 words long]