When the going gets tough, the tough get going...
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The Spirit of Thermopylae
By David J. Stennett
In 480 b.c., an estimated hoard of 240,000-2,000,000 soldiers under the command of King Xerxes of Persia swarmed forward like locusts toward the gates of Europe. The great Persian-Race had already sacked the Jew, the Phoenician, the Egyptian, the Arab, and the Ethiopian. His next task, and final destination: to destroy the free Greek states, and enslave its inhabitants for the greater Persian Empire. Hellenic (Greek) spies at Sardis watched the rumor of invasion assemble into reality as the Persians, battle gear and all, headed West. Thus, the newly formed pan-Hellenic council knowing of the advancing onslaught, but not knowing exactly where to place the Hellenic forces, opted to give King Leonidas of Sparta a 7, 000 strong pan-Hellenic army of Thebans, Thespians, Athenians, and Spartans to protect the narrow mountain pass laying north at Thermopylae (The Hellenic council chose instead to concentrate their forces south in the isthmus awaiting a navel invasion). The pan-Hellenic army of brothers put aside their petty differences (They were plagued by incessant internecine wars for years), and unified under the banner of Greece; however, little did they know their fate would go down into history as one of the greatest and most honorable defenses of Western Civilization in the history of mankind.
As Xerxes' army approached, the Hellens got word of their location, and prepared for the coming darkness. The Hellens gathered at an old wall built by the Thessalians before them, which served to keep the Phocians at bay while they were at war -- If the Persians wanted to go throught the pass at Thermopylae, they were going to have to climb a wall first! The 300 Spartans, who at the age of 5 sent it sons to be battle harded soldiers, were all hand picked by the King himself. . . not because they were the best-of-the-best, but because Leonidas wanted those Soldiers who had sons, so no family would be altogether destroyed. These 300 Spartans, who's women themselves were bred to be able to say to those she best loved that they must come home from battle "with the shield or on it" -- either carrying it victoriously or borne upon it as a corpse, were ultilmately selected to sacrafice themselves for all of Greece.
A Persian Reconssiance Unit was sent to gather intelligence on the Hellenic Forces; however, they could not see over the wall which the Greeks were stationed behind. What they did see were the Spartans -- Some playing sports, and more strangely, others combing their long hair. The "Recon" team rode back and told King Xerxes of what they had seen. The King had in his camp exiled Spartan Prince Demartus as a counsellor, and asked wheather his fellow Spartans were insane to be employed instead of fleeing away?!? Demartus' reply, "a hard fight was no doubt in preparation, and that it was the custom of the Spartans to array their hair with especial care when they were about to enter upon any great peril." Xerxes thought it all a joke, and waited 4 days for the Hellenic forces to withdraw - But the Spartans and the rest of the small force of 7,000 stayed to fight.
The night before the battle was to take place, a Persian Consul under a banner of truce visited Leonidas and recommended to him to surrender his forces. In Spartan fashion, Leonidas quickly rejected. The Consul continued with, "Reconsider, as we'll shoot so many arrows at you it'll blot out the sun." Another Spartan, named Dienices learning of this man made eclipes, replied, "So much the better: we shall fight in the shade." Leonidas knew there was only one kind of currency which could purchase freedom for the Hellenic states, and it was going to be drops of blood from Hellenic soldiers.
The Persians attacked, but were repulsed it is said three times (As it is recorded that Xerxes leapt off of his throne three times in despair at the sight of his troops being driven backwards.) However, a Hellenic traitor named Ephialtes, crept into the Persian camp and offered, for a large sum of money, to show the mountain pass that would enable the Persians to attack the Hellenic forces on two-fronts. He was paid, and Xerxes sent a general named Hydarnes toward that alternative route. A small Phocian guard was protecting this route, but were quickly defeated by the mass of Persians. However, a few escaped, and gave the alarming news to Leonidas.
In the morning, after a short meeting of the war council, it was decided that Thermopylae was an undefendable outpost. Leonidas and his army of 7,000 were ordered back south to Athens before they were encircled and it became to late to leave; however, though it was even acceptable in the Spartan tradition to abandon a post that was undefendable, he refused. After this, he ordered all of the allied forces under his command back south to Athens . . . He had decided this is where he and his Spartans would die. The allied forces complied, and all that was left was the obedient 300 Spartans, 700 Thespians who said they would fight to the end, and 400 Thebans. That night, it is recorded that Leonidas toasted to all of his troops during their last meal, "Tonight, we shall Sup with Pluto!" - In other words, "This is our last meal before we feast with the Dead!"
As the first light began to shine upon the Hellenic forces, Leonidas and his men prepared for war. With the pan-Hellenic forces of 7,000, Leonidas had stood on the defensive; however, his only desire now was to make as great a slaughter as possible, so as to inspire the enemy with dread of the Grecian name. Without fear, and without waiting to be attacked, he and his small force of 1,400 went on the offensive. The 300 Spartans butchered Persians by the droves; Thespians fought with vigor; the Thebans fought for their lives. Leonidas was one of the first to be cut down, and the battle for his corpse would leave two Persian prices, Xerxes' brothers, dead . . . as other Spartans refused to have their King displayed as some trophy piece.
It was obvious the Greeks were better soldiers man for man, but the tremendous numbers soon began to wear them down: their spears broke from excessive usuage, and their swords began to dull. The Spartans and Thespians made their way to a little hillock within the wall, and made their last stand; but the courage displayed by the Thebans vanished, and they surrendered to the Persians. They were given quarter, but all were branded with the king's mark as untrustworthy deserters.
The Greek Historian Herodotus in his book History recorded the final moments of the battle, " ? the small desperate band stood side by side on the hill still fighting to the last, some with swords, others with daggers, others even with their hands and teeth, till not one living man remained amongst them when the sun went down. There was only a mound of slain, bristled with arrows . . . those with weapons still clutching them."
Twenty thousand Persians had died before that small number of men! After the battle, Xerxes asked Demaratus if there were many more at Sparta like the 300 -- He was told there were 8,000 more like them. Xerxes wasn't enthralled with this answer, and ordered more reinforcements. Leonidas' body was cut up and displayed to deter the Greeks from resisting, but it did not work. The Spartans would go head to head with the Persians many more times; however, Persian defeat would come as a Spartan named Aristodemus, who was evacuated at Thermopylae with the allied forces (He was deathly ill, but called a "Coward" nonetheless by his fellow Spartan citizens), fought in the name of Leonidas and crushed the Persians one last time and drove them ingloriously from Greece.
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The Spirit of Thermopylae
By David J. Stennett
In 480 b.c., an estimated hoard of 240,000-2,000,000 soldiers under the command of King Xerxes of Persia swarmed forward like locusts toward the gates of Europe. The great Persian-Race had already sacked the Jew, the Phoenician, the Egyptian, the Arab, and the Ethiopian. His next task, and final destination: to destroy the free Greek states, and enslave its inhabitants for the greater Persian Empire. Hellenic (Greek) spies at Sardis watched the rumor of invasion assemble into reality as the Persians, battle gear and all, headed West. Thus, the newly formed pan-Hellenic council knowing of the advancing onslaught, but not knowing exactly where to place the Hellenic forces, opted to give King Leonidas of Sparta a 7, 000 strong pan-Hellenic army of Thebans, Thespians, Athenians, and Spartans to protect the narrow mountain pass laying north at Thermopylae (The Hellenic council chose instead to concentrate their forces south in the isthmus awaiting a navel invasion). The pan-Hellenic army of brothers put aside their petty differences (They were plagued by incessant internecine wars for years), and unified under the banner of Greece; however, little did they know their fate would go down into history as one of the greatest and most honorable defenses of Western Civilization in the history of mankind.
As Xerxes' army approached, the Hellens got word of their location, and prepared for the coming darkness. The Hellens gathered at an old wall built by the Thessalians before them, which served to keep the Phocians at bay while they were at war -- If the Persians wanted to go throught the pass at Thermopylae, they were going to have to climb a wall first! The 300 Spartans, who at the age of 5 sent it sons to be battle harded soldiers, were all hand picked by the King himself. . . not because they were the best-of-the-best, but because Leonidas wanted those Soldiers who had sons, so no family would be altogether destroyed. These 300 Spartans, who's women themselves were bred to be able to say to those she best loved that they must come home from battle "with the shield or on it" -- either carrying it victoriously or borne upon it as a corpse, were ultilmately selected to sacrafice themselves for all of Greece.
A Persian Reconssiance Unit was sent to gather intelligence on the Hellenic Forces; however, they could not see over the wall which the Greeks were stationed behind. What they did see were the Spartans -- Some playing sports, and more strangely, others combing their long hair. The "Recon" team rode back and told King Xerxes of what they had seen. The King had in his camp exiled Spartan Prince Demartus as a counsellor, and asked wheather his fellow Spartans were insane to be employed instead of fleeing away?!? Demartus' reply, "a hard fight was no doubt in preparation, and that it was the custom of the Spartans to array their hair with especial care when they were about to enter upon any great peril." Xerxes thought it all a joke, and waited 4 days for the Hellenic forces to withdraw - But the Spartans and the rest of the small force of 7,000 stayed to fight.
The night before the battle was to take place, a Persian Consul under a banner of truce visited Leonidas and recommended to him to surrender his forces. In Spartan fashion, Leonidas quickly rejected. The Consul continued with, "Reconsider, as we'll shoot so many arrows at you it'll blot out the sun." Another Spartan, named Dienices learning of this man made eclipes, replied, "So much the better: we shall fight in the shade." Leonidas knew there was only one kind of currency which could purchase freedom for the Hellenic states, and it was going to be drops of blood from Hellenic soldiers.
The Persians attacked, but were repulsed it is said three times (As it is recorded that Xerxes leapt off of his throne three times in despair at the sight of his troops being driven backwards.) However, a Hellenic traitor named Ephialtes, crept into the Persian camp and offered, for a large sum of money, to show the mountain pass that would enable the Persians to attack the Hellenic forces on two-fronts. He was paid, and Xerxes sent a general named Hydarnes toward that alternative route. A small Phocian guard was protecting this route, but were quickly defeated by the mass of Persians. However, a few escaped, and gave the alarming news to Leonidas.
In the morning, after a short meeting of the war council, it was decided that Thermopylae was an undefendable outpost. Leonidas and his army of 7,000 were ordered back south to Athens before they were encircled and it became to late to leave; however, though it was even acceptable in the Spartan tradition to abandon a post that was undefendable, he refused. After this, he ordered all of the allied forces under his command back south to Athens . . . He had decided this is where he and his Spartans would die. The allied forces complied, and all that was left was the obedient 300 Spartans, 700 Thespians who said they would fight to the end, and 400 Thebans. That night, it is recorded that Leonidas toasted to all of his troops during their last meal, "Tonight, we shall Sup with Pluto!" - In other words, "This is our last meal before we feast with the Dead!"
As the first light began to shine upon the Hellenic forces, Leonidas and his men prepared for war. With the pan-Hellenic forces of 7,000, Leonidas had stood on the defensive; however, his only desire now was to make as great a slaughter as possible, so as to inspire the enemy with dread of the Grecian name. Without fear, and without waiting to be attacked, he and his small force of 1,400 went on the offensive. The 300 Spartans butchered Persians by the droves; Thespians fought with vigor; the Thebans fought for their lives. Leonidas was one of the first to be cut down, and the battle for his corpse would leave two Persian prices, Xerxes' brothers, dead . . . as other Spartans refused to have their King displayed as some trophy piece.
It was obvious the Greeks were better soldiers man for man, but the tremendous numbers soon began to wear them down: their spears broke from excessive usuage, and their swords began to dull. The Spartans and Thespians made their way to a little hillock within the wall, and made their last stand; but the courage displayed by the Thebans vanished, and they surrendered to the Persians. They were given quarter, but all were branded with the king's mark as untrustworthy deserters.
The Greek Historian Herodotus in his book History recorded the final moments of the battle, " ? the small desperate band stood side by side on the hill still fighting to the last, some with swords, others with daggers, others even with their hands and teeth, till not one living man remained amongst them when the sun went down. There was only a mound of slain, bristled with arrows . . . those with weapons still clutching them."
Twenty thousand Persians had died before that small number of men! After the battle, Xerxes asked Demaratus if there were many more at Sparta like the 300 -- He was told there were 8,000 more like them. Xerxes wasn't enthralled with this answer, and ordered more reinforcements. Leonidas' body was cut up and displayed to deter the Greeks from resisting, but it did not work. The Spartans would go head to head with the Persians many more times; however, Persian defeat would come as a Spartan named Aristodemus, who was evacuated at Thermopylae with the allied forces (He was deathly ill, but called a "Coward" nonetheless by his fellow Spartan citizens), fought in the name of Leonidas and crushed the Persians one last time and drove them ingloriously from Greece.
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