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The '''Battle of Thermopylae''' was a famous [[battle ]] during the [[Greco-Persian Wars]], fought in northwestern [[Greece]]. It is known for the fact that 300 [[Sparta|Spartan]] n soldiers and 7000 3700 other [[Ancient Greece|Greek ]] soldiers (most notably the [[Thespiae|Thespians]]) held off an army of several hundred thousand [[Persia|Persian]] n soldiers (led by [[Xerxes]]) for three days, therefore giving the rest of Greece time to group and prepare to the south. It was considered to be a defining moment in the war.

The most recognized battle of Thermopylae was that of fought between the Greeks and the Persians around in 480 BC. The Persian "God king " Xerxes , master of the huge Persian Empire, was waging war on Greece for control of its lands and people. The battle is most known for two factors: 1) the impressive show of strength by the Persians, whose forces numbered between 2 million and 200,000. The battle is also known for and 2 million 2) the determination and bravery of the roughly 7000 few thousand Greekswho tried to stop them. The estimated 6700 Non-Spartan Greeks ([[Athens|Athenians (]] and soldiers from other city-states) were led by the Spartan king Leonidas. The Greek soldiers were able to successfully hold off the Persians because of the terrain and their fighting style. Because the mountain pass was so narrow, the Greeks only had to fight a small number of the persian army at a time. Also, the Greek phalanx, a fighting style consisting of ten rows and ten columns of soldiers carrying twelve foot long spears and rounded shields gave the Greeks a huge advantage. This fighting style was so effective because the tight formation and shields left practically no part of a soldier unprotected, and the twelve foot long spears enabled men from a few rows back to attack. It was also effective because when a Greek soldier died on the front line, he was immediately replaced by a new soldier. After two days of battle, a traitorous Greek farmer named [[Ephialtes of Trachis|EphialtesLeonidas]] told the Persians of a secret path that let the Persians get around and attack the Spartans from behind. 300 The Spartans stayed, while the Athenians left to gather more forces, and the impressive last stand by the Spartans allowed Sparta and Athens to regroup and eventually defeat the Persian forces in themselves numbered a later battle. It is also estimated that 20,000 Persians were killed by the allied forcefew hundred. The traitor [[Ephialtes of Trachis|Ephialtes]] is so derided in [[Greek]] tradition, that his name is now a synonym for "nightmare."

A movie The Greek soldiers were able to successfully hold off the Persians because of the terrain and their fighting style. Because the mountain pass was made about this so narrow at the location they had chosen to fight, the Greeks only had to face a small number of the Persian army at a time. Also, the Greek [[phalanx]], a fighting style consisting of ten rows and ten columns of soldiers carrying twelve foot long spears and rounded shields gave the Greeks a huge advantage. This fighting style was so effective because the tight formation and shields left practically no part of a soldier unprotected, and the twelve foot long spears enabled men from a few rows back to attack. It was also effective because when a Greek soldier died on the front line, he was immediately replaced by a new soldier. After two days of battle in 2007 which the Persians were unable to advance, a traitorous Greek farmer named "300"[[Ephialtes of Trachis|Ephialtes]] told the Persians of a secret path that let the Persians get around and attack the Greeks from behind. However300 Spartans and 700 Thespians stayed, while the movie was based upon Athenians left to gather more forces, and the highly-stylized graphic novel by Frank Miller impressive last stand allowed Sparta and not upon historical factAthens to regroup and eventually defeat the Persian forces in the [[Battle of Plataea]].It is estimated that 20,000 Persians were killed by the Greeks. The traitor Ephialtes is so derided in Greek tradition, that his name is now a synonym for "nightmare."

The battle of Thermopylae was considered to be a key battle in preventing the overrunning of Western civilization by Eastern invaders. A movie was made about this battle in 2007 named "300". However, the movie was based upon the highly stylized graphic novel by Frank Miller and so mixes historical fact with fiction.<ref>http://www.townhall.com/columnists/VictorDavisHanson/2007/03/22/300_fact_or_fiction</ref> == Source See also == *[[Alexander the Great]]*[[Julius Caesar]]*[[The Crusades]]*[[Byzantine Empire]] == References == <References/> == Sources ==