THE BATTLE OF THERMOPYLAE, 480 BC:
THE BATTLE OF THERMOPYLAE, 480 BC: "Come back with your shield - or on it." (Plutarch, Mor.241) The battle of Thermopylae is steeped in myth and legend. The epic story of a numerically inferior Greek army fighting against a mighty Persian army has echoed through history. But beneath the layer of myth, legend, and ridiculous exaggerations—which have distorted the story—there was a real battle, a significant battle; a battle that saw an allied Greek army defend a narrow pass against overwhelming numbers for several days, only to be defeated and annhilated in one of the greatest last stands in history. The real battle of Thermopylae needs no exaggerations. King Leonidas of Sparta (Lacedaemon) was born c. 540 BC in Sparta. His name means "lion", or "son of the lion." He had two elder brothers, thus it was unlikely that he would become king; he would, however, go on to become the most famous Spartan king of them all. Yet little is known of Leonidas' life, ...