The Battle of Thermopylae.

Battle of Thermopylae - a battle in the war between the Greeks and Persians, which took place in mid-September 480 BC.e.

One of the most brutal battles in the history of antiquity took place ten years after Darius sent to all the Greek city-states its ambassadors to humiliating demands obedience and recognition of the power of the Persians."Earth and water" demanded the powerful emissaries of the Persian king, agreeing on almost all the cities of ancient Greece.We do not want to show obedience only Athenians executed after, and the Spartans threw them into the well with a proposal to get there desired - and the land and water.King Darius undertook an expedition to the coast of Attica, but in the Battle of Marathon, the Persian army was broken.After the death of the ruler of his father by his son Xerxes.Many peoples vast Persian Empire was collected unprecedented for that time Army and curb powerful fleet.When the army of Xerxes went to the conquest of southern Greece, Pan-Hellenic Congress decided to follow the advice of Themistocles the Athenian strategist resist the invaders in the Thermopylae pass - the narrowest point in the way the army.The calculation was correct.But to battle at Thermopylae was won by the Greeks, it was necessary to collect a large army that failed to make the Greek city-states.

In mid-August the Persian army appeared at the entrance to the gorge.The event, during which the deed was committed 300 Spartans, preceded by negotiations.On offer Xerxes give in exchange for his freedom, new lands and friendliness king of Sparta Leonid refused.

Furious, Xerxes ordered the Greek allied forces lay down their arms, and received, according to Plutarch, a decent answer: "Come and take it."The most efficient units of the Persian army on the orders of the king began the assault.Thus began the battle of Thermopylae - a battle that became the most striking episode of the Greco-Persian wars.In ancient sources, researchers give conflicting reports on the number of combatants.These modern historians of the balance of power losses and opponents of the parties represented in the table.

Two days of Greek soldiers managed to repel the attacks of the Persians, Xerxes, but managed to make a workaround and surround the defenders of Thermopylae.The outcome of the final battle for the Greeks was a foregone conclusion, since it was impossible to defeat the enemy army, outnumbering hundreds of times.The Greeks could only count on a glorious death on the field boya.Dopodlinno unknown how many hoplites took the fight with Spartan king.Ancient sources indicate that there were more Thebans (who surrendered in captivity) and Thespians, accept death with detachment, which consisted of 300 Spartans.The history of deeds of heroes who sacrificed their lives for the freedom of his native land, became a legend, educating and inspiring for several centuries in a row youths of all European states.