August 20th, 480BC - The Battle of Thermopylae
The 2,501st anniversary of the Battle of Thermopylae. Where the united Greek city-states led by King Leonidas of Sparta, put up a defiant last stand of defence of the homeland.
Thermopylae, was a narrow coastal passage located in Sterea Ellada, the sight of many battles throughout history and the site of the stand by a Greek force numbering according to sources at an absolute maximum of 10,000, against the Persian Army of a minimum 300,000, many sources have far higher figures for the Persian Army.
Xerxes’ army travelled through the Dardanelles and landed in Macedon and Thessaly in Northern Greece, causing destruction and seizing much land, before moving South to attack Thebes, Athens and Sparta.
The outnumbered Greeks defended stoutly for days against Persian attacks, suffering light losses as they imposed heavy casualties on the Persians & holding up their advance South.
Only when the Greeks were betrayed did the battle take a detrimental turn. Ephialtes, a Greek citizen desiring reward, informed Xerxes of a path that went around Thermopylae, thus rendering the Greek defensive line useless in preventing the forward advance of the Persian army.
Xerxes took advantage of this betrayal & sent his army along the path, led by Ephialtes. After reaching the other side, the Persians attacked and destroyed a portion of the Greek army. The majority of the remaining Greek army retreated.
Leonidas, his 300 bodyguards and around 1,000 Boeotians remained behind, they held their ground against the Persians but were defeated by the vast enemy army, many Greeks were killed, including Leonidas.
Despite the Greek defeat, the Battle of Thermopylae has become synonymous with courage and as an example of a relatively few patriots, defending themselves and their homeland, against a tyrannical and numerically superior enemy.
A timeless message for all Greeks.
Δεν υπάρχουν σχόλια:
Δημοσίευση σχολίου