Go Tell The Spartans…

In 490BC a fleet of 600 Ships carrying 25,000 Persian soldiers landed at the bay of Marathon. Having previously put down a revolt in the Ionian Islands, the new aim of the Persians was to sack the city of Athens.

Although they were massively outnumbered the Athenians and their Plataean allies assembled a force of 11,000 Hoplite infantry. These men were not professional soldiers, but ordinary men fighting for the survival of their city and way of life.

The two armies would meet on the plain of Marathon, twenty-six miles north of Athens. It would be the Greeks who made the first move, moving in at the centre and the flanks. It was the job of the centre to fake retreat, so as to draw the Persian soldiers further in. This meant that the Greek wings could begin to envelop the Persians. By the time the Persians realised what had happened, it was too late; the battle was already lost. 6,400 Persians were slain during the battle, the Athenians lost 192 men and the Plataeans just 11.

Marathon was a great victory, not just for the Athenians, but for the whole of Greece. The Marathon fighters were greatly celebrated, and the dead honoured. On the tomb of the Athenian dead is written…

“The Athenians, as defenders of the Hellenes, in Marathon destroyed the might of the golden-dressed Medes – Simonides

Ten years later the Greeks and Persians would once again meet on the battlefield, this time at the narrow pass of Thermopylae in central Greece

In 480BC the largest fighting force ever assembled was lead by the Persian King Xerxes from Asia and into Greece. The long march would take the 300,000 strong army many months, which would give the Greeks time to prepare a defence force.

As the great Persian army travelled down through northern Greece many smaller city states surrendered without conflict. However, many of the larger states such as Athens, Corinth and Sparta refused to give up their freedom.

In Autumn 481BC a confederation of states met at Corinth. Here they agreed that Sparta should be put in charge of the land army, and that Athens should control the navy.

The first troop deployment would be by the Greeks. Euanetus and Thermistocles led an army of 10,000 Spartan and Athenian hoplites to Tempe in northern Greece. Here the Greeks felt that they could apply a good defence. They stayed at Tempe for a few days, before realising the pass could easily be flanked, resulting in attack from all sides. At this point the army retreated back towards Athens.

Eventually the Greeks would decide that Thermopylae would be the best place to stage the battle. The pass was narrow and could not easily be flanked. King Leonidas along with 300 Spartans would lead a small Greek force of around 7,000 up to the pass. The Athenians were given the important job of using their navy to defend the straight at Artemision. They had to prevent the Persian navy from flanking the Greek army, if they failed in their mission, the battle would surely be lost.

The Spartans were a very religious people. Herodotus, the Greek historian tells us that before the Spartans set out to meet the Persians, they consulted the Oracle at Delphi. This is what was said…

“O ye men who dwell in the streets of broad Lacedaemon

Either your glorious town shall be sacked by the children of Perseus

Or, in exchange, must all through the whole of Laconian country

Mourn for the loss of a King descendant of great Heracles”

In other words, a Spartan King had to die at Thermopylae or else the city would burn to the ground.

King Leonidas personally chose the 300 men who he took to Thermopylae. They were chosen for their bravery and courage, but also because they had sons. This meant that the family blood line could continue, if they died in battle.

Importantly the Greeks reached Thermopylae before the Persians, this allowed them to take up position in the narrow pass. When the Persian army arrived they sent a scout to watch over the Greeks. When he reported back to Xerxes what he had seen, the Persian King was confused. The Spartans has been seen exercising and combing their hair. Amongst Xerxes’ entourage was an exiled Spartan King called Damaratus who explained the Spartans behaviour. He commented that they were the greatest soldiers in all of Greece, they were not afraid, and would never surrender.

Despite this explanation Xerxes remained doubtful, so he sent an emissary out to meet Leonidas, and offer him Kingship of the whole of Greece if he surrendered. To this the Spartan King replied…

“If you knew what was good in life you would abstain from wishing for foreign things. For me it is better to die for Greece than to be a monarch over my compatriots”.

Obviously irritated by this, Xerxes was more forceful in his next demand. He asked that the Greeks lay down their weapons, to which Leonidas famously replied.

“Molon Labe” which translates as “Come and get them”

Another example of the Greek fighting spirit comes from the Spartan Dienekes. When informed that the Persian archers were so numerous that their arrows would block out the sun, the calmly replied.

“Good, then we shall fight in the shade”

Xerxes waited for four days for the Greek army to surrender. By the fifth day he has grown tired of their insolence and ordered his army to attack.

The first attack by the Persians was a total failure. They were poorly armed and had little armour to offer them protection. Although the Greeks lacked a numerical advantage, they were far better trained, had better armour and weapons. Against the strong Hoplite phalanx the Persians had little chance.

For the second assault, Xerxes would send in his crack troops – the Immortals. Although they were better equipped than the other Persian soldier they still fared badly against the Spartan front line. It is estimated that as many as 10,000 Persians were slaughtered on the first day of battle.

On the second day, the frontal assault failed again. Bodies now littered the ground and morale was low in the Persian camp. Xerxes too was infuriated, but realised that a frontal assault would not be the way to defeat the Greeks.

During the evening of the second day a Greek local approached the Persian camp. The mans name was Ephialtes. Motivated by the thought of reward and riches he would betray the Spartans and their Greek allies. Whilst at the Persian camp he informed Xerxes of the Anopaea pass which led through the mountains and behind the Greek camp. This would allow the Persians to surround the Greeks and attack from both sides.

When Leonidas heard of the Persians plan he called a meeting at the Greek camp. At this council the majority of the Greek army decided to withdraw. This included the Corinthians, Tegeans, Arcadians and Mantineans. This left just 1,400 Greeks to defend the Thermopylae pass – 300 Spartans, 700 Thespians and 400 Thebans [the Thebans were possibly held hostage by Leonidas].

As the sun rose the Immortals were just completing their march around the Anopaea pass. The Greeks marched forward into a wider part of the pass. Here they would attempt to kill as many of the foe as they could before being overwhelmed.

Herodotus tells us of the courage displayed by the Greeks…

“They fought with their spears, and when they were broken fought with hands and teeth”.

As the Immortals began to advance towards the rear, the remaining Greeks took up position on a small hillock, here they would make their final stand. Xerxes ordered the hill to be surrounded and had his archer rain down arrows until every last Greek was dead.

Although the battle was technically a defeat for the Spartans, they had shown that the Persian army could be resisted. The 300 had completed what they set out to do, they had saved their city and inspired the rest of the Greek allies to fight on.

After Thermoplyae the Greek poet Simonides composed an epitaph which was engraved on a commemorative stone placed on top of the Spartan burial mound.

“O xein’, angellein Lakedaimoniois hoti têde

keimetha tois keinon rhémasi peithomenoi.”

In English this can be translated to…

“Go tell the Spartans, stranger passing by,
that here, obedient to their laws, we lie”

Chris is a Nazi (fact)

Chris is a Nazi, because he doesn’t care that 62,537,400 people died (on all sides) during World War II.

According to Wikipedia, 64% of allied casulaties were from the Soviet Union. Chris’ reasoning for this, is that “they obviously aren’t very good fighters”. Another interesting fact is that the US and UK combined only make up 4% of allied casualties. This further emphasises the massive loses suffered by the Soviets.