Download Excerpts from The Last Stand of the 300 Spartans

The Last Stand of the 300 Spartans
(Available on YouTube: Last Stand of the 300 uploaded by Pietrasze)
Intro: The Battle of Thermopylae (480 BC) is famous for one of the most courageous last
stands by the vastly outnumbered defending army of Greek city-states, led by King Leonidas I of
Sparta, against invading Persians under King Xerxes I. We are aware of the battle because of
the works of the Greek historian Herodotus (circa 484 BC – circa 425 BC).
Why did the Persians invade the Greek city-states? Almost 20 years before, the Greek poleis
had supported an unsuccessful revolt against the Persian Empire by the Greek colony,
Ionia. Persia’s King Darius swore revenge against the Greeks for interfering and put in
motion plans to invade.
In 490 B.C., ten years before the Battle at Thermopylae, Darius sends a force of 30,000
Persians across the Aegean Sea to annihilate Athens. They land at Marathon and are met
by 8,000 Athenians, who – though outnumbered – proceed to defeat the Persians. After
the Greek victory at Marathon, a Greek soldier, Pheidippides, was ordered to run the 26
miles to Athens to announce the Persian defeat. This famous run is commemorated all over
the world whenever a marathon is held. (The next one is on Sunday in NYC!!)
Darius’s death around 486 BC didn’t end the Persian Empire’s plans to attack Greece again,
and his son Xerxes continued ambitious preparations for the next attack at Thermopylae.
Greek poleis were subsequently visited by Persian emissaries (official messengers)who asked
for “earth and water” as a token of submission, and all states obliged except for Athens and
Sparta. The Athenians put the Persian emissaries on trial in a court of law, while the Spartans
threw the Persian emissaries down a well.
QUESTIONS
1. How did the Persian military compare to that of the ancient Greeks?
It was much larger – believed to be 300,000 strong – and 1,000 warships. The military
was as large as 2 million troops.
2. How did the Persian Empire compare to Greece?
It was a united empire running from the Indus River Valley (present day Pakistan to the Nile
River. It has a population in the millions and had great wealth. Greece had a population of
500,000-600,000 and it was made up of independent city-states that were not united.
3. How did the terrain at Thermopylae assist the Greeks in fighting the Persian army,
which outnumbered the Greeks by nearly 50 to one?
At the narrow pass at Thermopylae, superior numbers mattered less. The pass allowed
Leonidas’s small number of troops (up to 7,000 in total, including the 300 Spartans) to
keep back a much larger army (estimated at approx. 200,000) because the front was
much narrower. The phalanx shoulder-to-shoulder formation allowed the Spartans to
keep the larger Persian army stuck in the narrow pass.
4. “The enemy of my enemy is my friend.” Explain the significance of this statement.
At the time, Greece was not yet a unified country, and the largest two city-states –
Athens and Sparta – were rivals. The Spartans believe that Persia’s King Xerxes had
decided to occupy Greece and thus Sparta must help its enemy Athens to defeat their
mutual enemy, Persia. The eminent threat of the Persian invasion threw the Greek citystates into an alliance, though many were technically at war with each other.
5. How did the state control family life in Sparta
The first act of the state was already at birth. An elder of the society would examine a
newborn for defects to determine whether or not it was fit to be allowed to live in a
Spartan society. They would not allow babies with imperfections to live. A weakling or a
weak link was not to be a part of this hardcore warrior society. A weak baby would be
taken to a sacred site of a mountain and let to die. The parents’ feelings were not
considered. Childbirth and child rearing were considered for the state. The state had a
unique military training program. Boys were removed from the home at age 7 and
educated and trained to be a warrior – intense training to learn to be tough (not to cry; to
conceal pain, etc.) and learn military skills. They also learned how to steal in order to
survive. A male would enter the army at age 18 and remain until at least 30.
6. What examples are given of the importance of religion to the Spartans? Why did the
Spartan council limit Leonidas’s force to 300 men?
 King Leonidas I of Sparta consulted the Oracle at Delphi before going to battle.
 The Oracle’s prophecy and his inadequate forces convinced him that he would not survive
the confrontation.
 Leonidas believed that he was a descendant of Herakles (Hercules) and that the gods had
chosen him to battle Persia and sacrifice his life.
 The Persians’ attack coincided with a Spartan festival when all military activity is forbidden,
so the Spartan council went fewer men.
7. We are aware of the events of the Persian Wars because of the works of the Greek
historian Herodotus. He compiled a detailed account of the 5th century BCE battles. In
The Histories, Herodotus wrote that the Spartans were warned by another Greek that
they should be prepared to die, given the vast numbers of Persian troops:
“Such was the number of the barbarians, that when they shot forth their arrows the sun would be
darkened by their multitude." Dieneces, not at all frightened at these words, but making light of
the [Persian] numbers, answered, "Our Trachinian friend brings us excellent tidings. If the
[Persians] darken the sun, we shall have our fight in the shade." [The movie version = “A
thousand nations of the Persian empire descend upon you. Our arrows will blot out the sun.”….
“Then we will fight in the shade.”]
How does the response of Dieneces (a lieutenant of King Leonidas) reflect the Spartan
mentality?
The Spartans believed they were the strongest, toughest soldiers in Greece and despite
the likelihood that they would lose against the Persian forces that vastly outnumbered
them, they would not keep them from defending the Greek city-states against the
Persians. While the Spartans were defeated, they won valuable time for Athens.
8. Describe the phalanx, the Spartan’s military formation in battle. Why were Greek
soldiers called Hoplites?
Spartans fought in platoons of 8 men across and 4 men deep, shoulder to shoulder,
creating a shield wall in front. This was called the phalanx. Each soldier held a heavy
concave bronze and wood shield called a Hoplon. Greek heavy infantry were therefore
called Hoplites.
9. Relevant vocabulary words:
spartan = (adj.) marked by strict self-discipline or self-denial; marked by simplicity,
frugality, or avoidance of luxury and comfort (a spartan room).
laconic = (adj.) using or involving the use of a minimum of words; concise to the point
of seeming rude or mysterious.