Xerxes: Thermopylae

(History of Xerxes the Great)

*Xerxes fleet fought at the pass of Thermopylae and gained possession of the pass (a narrow space btwn. the mountains & the sea).

*The Greeks had originally planned to fight at Thessaly, but upon further consideration they fell back to Thermopylae and Thessaly surrendered. They had a force estimated at 3-4 thousand with various states of Greece, and were commanded by the Spartan Leonidas (who had brought with him 300 of his own men). They planned to send more troops, but Xerxes advanced too quickly with over a million men.

*The Greeks debated what they should do. They considered dropping back to the isthmus, but that was strongly opposed by the Greeks who represented countries without Peloponnesus, whose states would be left wholly to the mercy of the enemy. In the end, they decided to stay, and positioned themselves in various locations.

*Xerxes thought that the small number of men would retreat, and waited a few days. But at length he did not and on the morning of the 5th day he sent out a detachment of troops (Medes) to go down the pass, seize all the Greeks and bring them back alive. The Medes were the best troops in the army, outside of the Immortals.

*However, a few hours later a messenger came asking for re-enforcements. That night they came back exhausted and with many wounded. Several had died. Xerxes was shocked and angered. The next morning he sent the Immortals. He also advanced to the area and set up a throne above to watch. The Immortals advanced, but their large number did not help, because of narrowness of the defile. The Greeks were also more athletic and had longer spears. At night the Immortals withdrew. Things continued thus for 1 or 2 more days, when a Greek countryman "Ephialtes" appeared in their camp and informed them of a secret path leading along a wild and hidden chasm in the mountains, by which he could guide a body of Persians to the summit of the hills overhanging the pass at a point below the Greek entrenchment. This would make it easy for the Persians to surround the Greeks and shut them in. Xerxes was delighted.

*Troops were sent along the unknown path, and surprisingly met up with a thousand Phocaeans who had been ordered to take possession of and guard that area. They were posted, not to repel an attack (the hidden pass was unknown), but that they might prevent the Persians from going through if those in the defile were slain or defeated. There was a short conflict, and the Phocaeans were driven off their ground and retreated. They were not pursued.

*The Greeks in the defile saw almost immediately that the Persians had descended. They considered retreating, but in the end some were dismissed and some stayed. Leonidas stayed with his 300 men, and a small band of Thebans (he had suspected them of plotting treason).
It has also been said that a few others stayed as well.

*The fight ensued and did not cease until all the Greeks had failed. The Thebans, early on, went over and joined the enemy. The Greeks fought well and killed thousands of Persians. Xerxes commanded a great hole to be dug in which he ordered all but a thousand of his Persian troops to buried in it, and then to cover the hole with leaves. He wanted to conceal the extent of his loss.