Jan 23, 2017 so without further ado, let us try to sift some of the facts from fiction, and have a gander at the 10 things one should know about the battle of thermopylae a momentous episode of history that stands testament to the importance of tactics and bravery in war. I know this book is fiction, but it is on the usmc commandants reading list, is taught to the corps of cadets at west point, annapo. After the second day, a local resident named ephialtes betrayed the greeks by revealing a small path used by shepherds. Decisive battles is a 2004 american animated documentary television series that depicted historic conflicts using the game engine from rome. The fall of reach by eric nylund refers to the thermopylae battle, in media. If you want to do something in that period the battle of plataea is a much better choice. Total war to present 3d simulations of the battles. On the battle of thermopylae itself, two principal sources, herodotus and simonides accounts, survive. The battle of thermopylae was fought between an alliance of greek citystates, led by king. Can someone tell me the cords for a thermopylaehot gates. The battle of thermopylae from herodotus the histories. The battle of thermopylae, 480 bc, was a battle in the second persian invasion of greece. Battle in northern greece 480 bc in the persian wars.
The battle of thermopylae was fought between an alliance of greek citystates, led by king leonidas i of sparta, and the achaemenid empire of xerxes i over the course of three days, during the second persian invasion of greece. A military historian, bradford makes sense of the complicated maneuvers and does a very thorough background on all components of the battle, from the three rows of trireme rowers to an. New thermopylae map w coordinates tutorial youtube. The battle was the climax of the second persian invasion of greece. In the battle of plataea there were 5000 spartan hoplites and they had 35,000 helots 5 per each spartiate. Greek casualties in the battle of thermopylae during 3 days could be up to 4000 dead soldiers or perhaps even more. Any account of the battle of thermopylae must make mention of the pass which according to herodotus was approximately 50 feet wide in 480 b. Thermopylae is primarily known for the battle that took place there in 480 bc, in which an outnumbered greek force probably of seven thousand including the famous 300 spartans, 500 warriors from tegea, 500 from mantinea, 120 from arcadian orchomenos, from the rest of arcadia, 200 from phlius, 80 from mycenae, 400 corinthians, 400 thebans, phocians and the opuntian locrians held off. The battle of thermopylae cinematic total war attila youtube. The battle of thermopylae, on 2425 april 1941, was part of the german invasion of greece during world war ii. Look, if you have a problem with distilling the battle of thermopylae down to freedom versus tyranny, you need to read herodotus because hes the one. Mar 09, 2010 battle of thermopylae facts, myths, legends, map, pictures and statistics. I think the third will be something to do with hannibal.
It took place in a narrow gorge, called thermopylae, where a group of 300 spartan hoplites died heroically, blocking a way to the persian army of the tsar xerxes i. Some submitted to persia thinking they wouldnt get hurt. Responding, an alliance of greek citystates, led by athens and sparta, assembled a fleet and an army to. This battle has been made into a hollywood movie entitled, simply, 300 2006. The battle of thermopylae aftermath legio i lynx fulminata. This is sparta,000 man battle of thermopylae youtube. Herodotus magnificent writing have vividly explained one of the most exceptional battles, in addition to showing the world the incredible greek society, and the ever so.
Were there more than 300 spartans not including slaves or other greeks at the battle of thermopylae. Battle of thermopylae is a symbol of courage and patriotism. A captivating guide to one of the greatest battles in ancient history between the spartans and persians history, captivating on. This book goes into detail about everything that has remotely anything to do with the greek and persian relationship leading up to the war and the battle between the two empires but does not cover in detail the actual battle of thermopylae in that great of detail. Instead of a 300esque thermopylae, youll be deploying on a very steep mountain looking down to the coast. The battle of thermopylae, 480 bc, was fought between an alliance of greek citystates, led by sparta, and the persian empire of xerxes i. Battle of thermopylae and rise of empire is there any mod about these movies.
He has the persians attack with 10,000 men on day 1, then 20,000 on day 2, and 50,000 on day 3 this rising tricolon is a folktale motif, so completely ahistorical, and all three fail. Herodotus the histories, book 7, polymnia 8239 battle of thermopylae. Of all the characters and incidents of ancient greek history, none played such a central part in this tradition as those involved in the battle of thermopylae of 480 b. This would give us 1500 300 x 5 helots at thermopylae, but ive seen estimations which say about 900 helots at thermopylae. In fact, herodotus account of the battle, in book vii of his histories, is such an important source that paul cartledge wrote. It was fought between an alliance of greek citystates, led by sparta, and the persian empire of xerxes i. Battle of thermopylae date, location, and facts britannica. Apr 27, 2008 battle of thermopylae 480 bc part 1 of 3. After three days resisting the much larger persian army of xerxes i, greek forces were betrayed by ephialtes and sent into retreat by their leader, leonidas, who died during a final stand.
A masterful account of the causes, preparations for and consequences of the threeday battle in 480 b. In addition to the battle itself, the book discusses the persian king xerxes and the spartan king leonidas, as well as the battle of artemisium, which was a naval battle that took place concurrently with. The british title for this book, the year of thermopylae london, 1980, is much more descriptive since the book covers events leading up to and including thermopylae. The list includes both sieges not technically battles but usually yielding similar combatrelated deaths and civilian casualties during the battles. Having the spartans lose would not be satisfactory to the. The athenians took up a position there in 352 and discouraged philip ii from. Strangely enough, its a book of historical fiction. The 300 spartans led by the spartan king leonidas met the persians by thermopylae, while the naval forces, which were under the athenian themistocles, met them by sea, most importantly at artemisium. Strategically speaking, the width of the pass was of paramount importance since it negated the strength of the persian army which has been conservatively numbered on average at 200,000 warriors. Until they reached thermopylae, xerxes armament was free from. The encounter took place between greece and their allies thespians and thebans which were led by king leonidas, and the persian empire led by xerxes i. Its shoreline advanced by up to 2 kilometers between 2500 bc and 480 bc but still has left several extremely narrow passages between the sea and the mountains. Rome ii emperor edition general discussions topic details.
Battle of thermopylae simple english wikipedia, the free. Battle of thermopylae 480 bc myths vs reality total. Even in shogun 2 there are a number of well made maps from the ted, which you can download from the steam workshop, that are decent attempts at recreating the scene. The battle of thermopylae is believed to have been fought in august 480 bc, during the persian wars 499 bc449 bc. Battle of thermopylae 353 bc, the blocking of the pass during the third sacred war, by the athenians against philip ii of macedon. It originally aired on fridays on the history channel, and ran for thirteen episodes in mid2004. After the two days of the battle, xerxes ordered the hill surrounded and the persians rained down arrows until the last greek was dead mods. Apr 17, 2016 battle of thermopylae is most famous for the last stand of 300 spartans though it is not known by many that it also involved 1100 warriors from other greek states. In 480 the ephors sent leonidas with the 300 men of an allsire unit soldiers who had sons to carry on their bloodline and 6700 allies to hold the pass of thermopylae against the hundreds of thousands of persian soldiers who had. By and large, the battle of thermopylae from herodotus the histories was an extremely notable and remarkable battle for the history of the west, as well as the world. The battle for the west is one of those greatly accessible, pleasantly reading, and yet academically meaty history books. King leonidas and 300 spartans against million persian army. Some modern accounts seem to know exactly on what dates the battle fell, because herodotus says 7. The battle of thermopylae audiobook by captivating.
Battle of plataea 479 bc and battle of sphacteria 425 bc duration. The thermopylae pass was also the site of two other ancient battles. The units, are designed to be as accurate as possible. The battle of thermopylae charles river editors on. The battle of thermopylae was fought in 191 bc between a roman army led by consul manius acilius glabrio and a seleucid force led by king antiochus iii the great. Discusses all of the colorful quotes and legends about the battle but also analyzes what is historical fact and what is apocryphal fiction. The battle was fought for over three days, at the same time as the naval battle of artemisium. The battle of thermopylae august 480 bc is one of the most famous military defeats in history, and is best known for the fate of the 300 spartans, killed alongside 700 thespians on the final day of the battle. The battle of thermopylae was fought in central greece at the mountain pass of thermopylae in 480 bce during the persian wars. After the two days of the battle, xerxes ordered the hill surrounded and the persians rained down arrows until the l. In the battle of thermopylae in 480 bc, an alliance of south greek citystates fought the invading persian army in the pass of thermopylae. Nominally, xerxes expedition was directed against athens, but its real objective was the conquest of the whole of greece.
The overseers whips cracked and drove the persians onto the greek pikemen and to their deaths. The battle of thermopylae is a battle in september 480 bc during the greekpersian war 480 479 bc. So the battle of thermopylae included a land and sea component. Greco roman antiquity an exploration of texts and images from falvey librarys special collections works on ancient greece and rome. In this battle, about 6000 greeks, 300 thespians and 300 spartans held the pass for 3 days. Herodotus herodotus was an ancient greek historian who lived in. Sources battle of thermopylae 480 bc stories preschool. The battle of thermopylae from herodotus the histories essay. Victor davis hanson references a lot of things like that because he feels like the spirit of the book and of the movie 300 are very. Hellenes never layed down their weapons and fought until the end, they all died. The name of it is gates of fire written by steven pressfield. The gauls under brennus were victorious, and advanced further into the greek peninsula where they attempted to sack delphi but were completely defeated. This expedition against athens threatened all of greece. The following is an excerpt from his book the histories that describes the persian army at the battle of thermopylae.
Large battle casualty counts are almost impossible to calculate precisely. The book focuses on the battle of thermopylae but gives an overview of xerxes invasion of greece in order to put the battle into context. Marathon, thermopylae, salamis, cannae, and the teutoburg forest charles river editors on. It was fought for 3 days in the year 480 bc and was part of the second persian invasion of greece led by xerxes the great. He well uses both modern and ancient sources to tell the story not just of the battle of thermopylae, but also of the whole war in which it took place.
The battle of thermopylae cinematic total war attila duration. The second day followed the pattern of the first, and the greek forces still held the pass. The show was hosted by matthew settle, who usually traveled to the sites of the battles. It took place simultaneously with the naval battle at artemisium, in august or september 480 bc, at the narrow coastal pass of thermopylae. Includes pictures includes ancient accounts of the battles includes online resources and a bibliography for further reading the ancient greeks have long been. The exact coordinates for thermopylae on the grand campaign map sadly dont place you in any sort of chokepoint location. He drew directly on persian sources, but his entire treatment of the battle of thermopylae is wildly unreliable. It was the only way to get to the greek cities, so this whas the place where the greeks could hold the persians. Thermopylae is primarily known for the battle that took place there in 480 bc, in which an overmatched combined greek force of approximately 4,000 held off advancing persians under xerxes, and the term since has been used to reference heroic resistance against a more powerful enemy. The romans were victorious, and as a result, antiochus was forced to flee from greece. He well uses both modern and ancient sources to tell the story not just of the battle of thermopylae. The narrowest point on the plain, where the battle of thermopylae was probably fought, would have been less than 100 metres 330 ft wide.
Much research has been done to ensure all units are properly named and armed. His name was raised to a heroic and legendary status as a result of the events in the battle of thermopylae. The battle of thermopylae was fought between an alliance of greek citystates, led by king leonidas of sparta, and the persian empire of xerxes i over the course of three days, during the second persi. Persians under xerxes had both a land and a sea force with which they attempted to defeat those greeks who wouldnt willingly accept persian domination, as many greek citystates had already done. In terms of modern scholarship, paul cartledge is one of the foremost experts on sparta, and has a book specifically on thermopylae. Thermopylae isnt really a good historical battle unless your playing as the persians lol. Thermopylae battle 480 bc herodotus history greece private. Nov 30, 2017 so the battle of thermopylae included a land and sea component. Spartans and persians faced each other in a bloody battle. Were there more than 300 spartans not including slaves or.
While they all knew it was coming, they didnt see it in the same way. The confrontation at thermopylae took place in the late summer of 480. Battle of thermopylae, august 480 bc military history. Battle of thermopylae 480 bc myths vs reality total war. I dont think that the battle of thermopylae should be included for the reasons already stated and for the fact that its not really a roman battle that plays any large part in the timeframe that rome 2 covers.
The odds were in favor of the persians in this battle. Fascinating history about the battle between the spartans and persians that changed the world 480 bc fascinating world history book 2 historyepisode 3. Having been turned back at marathon in 490 bc, persian forces returned to greece ten years later to avenge their defeat and conquer the peninsula. Defending the pass at the battle of thermopylae warfare history. The battle of thermopylae was fought in 279 bc between invading gallic armies and a combined army of greek aetolians, boeotians, athenians, and phocians at thermopylae. Like the author said, this is the battle at thermopylae, also called the hot gates because of the many hot springs there. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. The battle of thermopylae is one of the most memorable battles fought during the persian wars.
It took place over three days, at the same time as the naval battle of artemisium. However, an unscrupulous traitor was about to tip the. Its one of the millions of unique, usergenerated 3d experiences created on roblox. The following is a list of the casualties count in battles in world history. At thermopylae in the late summer of 480 the spartan king leonidas held out for. Leonidas, died 480 bc, thermopylae, locris greece, spartan king whose stand against the invading persian army at the pass of thermopylae in central greece is one of the enduring tales of greek heroism, invoked throughout western history as the epitome of bravery exhibited against overwhelming odds. Having stated this at the beginning of the twentysecond logos, herodotus feels compelled to express an opinion which he knows to be unpopular. Moont kallidromon on the left, an the wide coastal plain formed bi accretion o fluvial deposits ower the centuries. The germans would continue their march down the country, eventually occupying the country the absence of the greek army, from a battle at a site as significant to the national psyche as thermopylae, was controversial within greece, as general georgios tsolakoglou had already capitulated. It took place simultaneously with the naval battle at. Ive forgotten the coordinates, but its somewhere in the greek territories. Thermopylae happened before alexander so it just doesnt fit with rome 2. Take a tour of the battlefield of thermopylae, greece to visit historic site in thermopylae. It was the first major battle of the romanseleucid war.
Battle of thermopylae ancient history encyclopedia. I will of course make a custom battle to replicate it at some point. After the two days of the battle, xerxes ordered the hill surrounded and the persians rained down. In the book of esther, this battle and the persian war against the greeks, takes place between chapters 1 and 2 of the book. Ten years later, during the second persian war, one of darius sons. Battle of thermopylae wikipedia republished wiki 2.
The persian invasion was a delayed response to the defeat of the first persian invasion of greece, which had been ended by the athen. A captivating guide to one of the greatest battles in ancient history between the spartans and persians. Whats the best book youve read on the battle of thermopylae. Even though this mods timeframe is mixed, it is still intended to be historically accurate. The halo 2 volume 2 soundtack has a song titled finale. Western civilization february 8, 2009 the battle of thermopylae from herodotus the histories the battle of thermopylae, which herodotus recorded in his writing the histories, was one of the most arduous and notable battles of western history. Vastly outnumbered, the greeks delayed the enemy in one of the most famous last stands of history. Many of these figures are estimates, and, where possible, a range of estimates is.