The Turning Point of the Battle of Thermopylae

Introduction

This research paper is based on the battle of Thermopylae. During the ancient times, the Battle of Thermopylae was a great battle in 480 BC which opposed the united Greek with the Persian Empire. The Persian army was vastly superior in number and was led by King Xerxes, who planned to invade Greece. However, the ground was not favorable because it had to go through a narrow passage near the coast north of Delphi: the Thermopylae. King Leonidas of Sparta resisted the head 300 and 900 Spartan helots. The sacrifice of the Spartans allowed the Greeks to organize their defense.

With victories in the Persian wars, the Greeks maintained their independence. They were able to freely develop their culture and the arts, which laid the foundations for European civilization. For the Greeks, the most important battles that actually have a small political-military importance are Marathon and Thermopylae. The Persian repulse aggression mainly decided victory in the naval battle of Salamis. The first two clashes became legendary, almost becoming like myths. We all know the story of a messenger from Marathon. The Greeks believed that the wars waged almost half a century, the Persians clashed European idea of freedom of attacking her Asian despotism. These struggles have grown to become the symbol of the struggle for freedom.

The Battle of Thermopylae (August 480 BC) ended with the death of all Greeks defenders, but the Persians took 20,000 casualties, among whom were two brothers of Xerxes himself. The Battle of Thermopylae opposed an alliance of Greek cities of the Achaemenid Empire. This is one of the most famous feats of ancient history. The Greek army with a fleet of 271 triremes to support tried to remember the great army of the Persian Great King Xerxes (500,000 infantry, 50,000 cavalry and 1200 triremes) at the entrance passes of Thermopylae, which controls the access of central Greece along the Aegean Sea. The courage and sacrifice of a thousand Spartans, Thebans and Thespians are legendary and were taken again by popular culture.

This battle will become the emblem of the Greek resistance to the invader, and despite the capture of Athens by the Persians, the Greeks were able to maintain their independence after their triumph at Salamis, and Plataea.

Significance of the Battle of Thermopylae

Ten years after the defeat of his father Darius, King Xerxes planned to annex Greece to the Persian Empire. But he wished at first to avoid a new war between the Greeks and Persians, which would cost him the money and men. Persian ambassadors were therefore sent asking for "earth and water" in Greek cities. In other words, it is the submission. According to legend transmitted by Herodotus, the Spartans would have thrown the Persian emissaries at the bottom of a well. In 481 BC, various heads of Greek cities met in Corinth. They formed a sort of alliance to jointly resist the Persian invaders. Athens and Sparta were dominant and influential cities. The war was ...