The Battle of Thermopylae was fought during the Persian invasion of Greece, when a small Greek force, led by King Leonidas I of Sparta, tried to hold the narrow coastal pass of Thermopylae against the vast army of Xerxes I. The Greeks, among them Spartans, Thespians and Thebans, held the pass for several days, while a naval battle took place at nearby Artemisium. A local man named Ephialtes showed the Persians a path through the mountains that allowed them to outflank the defenders. Leonidas sent most of the Greek army away and stayed to fight with a rear guard, which was killed. Although it was a defeat, the stand became a symbol of courage, and the Greeks won decisive victories at Salamis and Plataea soon afterwards.
Before and after
- 496 BCEBirth of Sophocles
- 494 BCEBirth of Pericles
- 12 August 490 BCEBattle of Marathon
- 484 BCEBirth of Herodotus
- 11 August 480 BCEBattle of Thermopylae
- 479 BCEDeath of Confucius
- from 478 BCE to 403 BCEFounding of Delian League
- from 476 BCE to 221 BCEWarring States period
- 470 BCEBirth of Socrates
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- 43 CERome invades Britain
- 17 January 395 CEThe Roman Empire is permanently divided
The era
This moment belongs to the Ancient civilizations (3,200 BCE to 500 CE), writing, cities and empires. You can also browse everything in the 5th century BCE.