Sparta was the South Central region of Greece, known as Peloponnesus.
Sparta was the South Central region of Greece, known as Peloponnesus. Sparta was most known for two things: their military and The Battle at Thermopilice. This is where Leonidas I, a great King, let 300 Spartan Warriors in Sparta's biggest battle which was fought against the Persians.
Spartan boys as early as age 7 were sent to military school to begin training to become warriors. There, they learned how to read, write, weld, and use weapons and military strategies. Once they were a part of the military and graduated from their training, the Spartans had to stay in the military until the age of 60. At this age, they were finally able to retire.
The great king of Sparta, Leonidas I, was born in the year 530 B.C., in Sparta, Greece. He was the son of Anaxandirides, who descended from the Greek Cult hero Heracles. Leonidas was sent to military school like the other boys of his age, where he received extremely strenuous physical conditioning and many years of military training to learn his skills to martial perfection. The product of this training and conditioning was the fiercest warrior and army that Ancient Greece, and possibly the world, had ever seen.
A Spartan heavy warrior (like Leonidas) carried three types of weapons: a long, thrusting spear, a short sword for stabbing, and a dagger. For protection, their armor consisted of a bronze crested helmet, a large round shield, a breast plate, and leg greaves (metal plates to cover the leg). These heavy warriors would usually wear a bright red cloak because they believed it was the most manly color. They fought grouped together, shoulder-to-shoulder, in a tactical unit called a phalanx, which would present many shields and spears. The phalanx was almost unstoppable from the front by an opposing attack. This formation's weakness was the flanks and rear. These weak areas were not heavily armored and were very open to attack.
Thermopilice controlled the vital coastal road into Central Greece. To the east, was the island of Euboea. Mountains served to protect from the left. The northern region was used to block the advance of any hostile fleet; it protected the right flank of the Greek army at the battle of Thermopilice.
Leonidas carefully selected 300 of Sparta's best warriors to defend Thermopilice. They were then accompanied by 4000 Peloponnesian troops on rout to Thermopilice in August 480 B.C. Luckily, they were also joined by 700 Thespians, 400 Thebeans, 1000 Phocians and 1000 Locrains, for a total of 7400 warriors. Simultaneously, the allied Greek state navy took positions at Artemision, which is at the northern end of the Euboea Island.
When Leonidas and his troops reached Thermopilice, his scouts reveled the myriad of the approaching Persian army. Leonidas held a meeting with Greek contingents who wanted to retreat to Corinth, but Leonidas decreed to stay and fight. So Leonidas had the old Phocian Wall rebuilt at the center of the pass to serve as a defense and rallying point for a counter attack. The Phocians volunteered to defend the Anapaea Path, which was located at the rear of the pass where enemies could attack.
Xerxes, the Persian King, sent one of his scouts to check on the Spartans. After his scout returned, Xerxes waited for four days and on the 5th day, he attacked. Xerxes' Mede and Cissian divisions moved in first, fighting inside the pass for several hours, but they were dominated by the better equipped and more skillful Greeks. During the second half of that day, Xerxes sent his elite guard, called the “Immortals”, who were not able to make their great numbers felt. The Spartans kept driving them back.
On the 2nd day of the battle, the Persians did not do any better, but Xerxes received an extraordinary wind fall. A man named Ephialtes, offered to lead the Persians through the Anapaea Path for a reward. That evening, Hydarnes and his troops, the “Immortals”, entered the mountainous forest of oak trees near the Asopus River. There, they climbed to the summit where they caught the Phocians off guard. The “Immortals” clobbered the Phocians with arrows. The “Immortals” bypassed them at a village called Alpenoi at the eastern end of Thermopilice, directly behind Leonidas.
On the final down, Leonidas heard from his scout runners that the Persian troops were closing in and they were to be completely surrounded very soon. Leonidas said that it would be dishonorable for him and his Spartan army to retreat. The leaders of the Thespians and Demophilus said it would be dishonorable for them to desert the Spartans.
About min-morning of the 3rd day, the Persian waves came into the pass as they realized that they would be attacked by Hydrne's “Immortals” from behind. Leonidas went past the Phocian Wall into a wider part of the pass in order to inflict more damage to the enemy while there was still time. Leonidas, knowing that death was coming, put all of his troops' strength against the Barbarians. They fought in a complete frenzy with absolutely no regard for their own lives. Finally, the Great Leonidas fell in battle at the front line. Immediately, a struggle broke lose over the body of Leonidas. After pushing back Persian attack, the Greeks were able to claim the kings remains. At this point in the battle, the “Immortals” were inside Thermopilice and closing.
As the Spartans and Thebans took position, the Thebans deserted to the Persians, who now completely surrounded the Greeks. These remaining Greeks fought till the death using their weapons, if they had any. The men without any weapons fought with brute strength using their hands and teeth. The Persians then destroyed the remaining Greeks. The Persians made it through the pass, but their navy was defeated at Salamis and their army was defeated at Plataea.
