Thermopylae is a mountain pass near the sea in northern Greece which was the site of several battles in antiquity, the most famous being that between Persians and Greeks in August 480 BCE. Despite being greatly inferior in numbers, the Greeks held the narrow pass for three days with Spartan king Leonidas fighting a last-ditch defence with a small force of Spartans and other Greek hoplites. Ultimately the Persians took control of the pass, but the heroic defeat of Leonidas would assume legendary proportions for later generations of Greeks, and within a year the Persian invasion would be repulsed at the battles of Salamis and Plataea.
More about: Battle of ThermopylaeDefinition
Timeline
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c. 650 BCE - c. 350 BCEHoplites are the major protagonists in Greek land warfare.
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492 BCEDarius I of Persia invades Greece.
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11 Sep 490 BCEA combined force of Greek hoplites defeat the Persians at Marathon.
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486 BCEXerxes succeeds to the throne of Persia after the death of Darius I.
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Jul 480 BCEXerxes I makes extensive preparations to invade mainland Greece by building depots, canals and a boat bridge across the Hellespont.
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Aug 480 BCEThe indecisive battle of Artemision between the Greek and Persian fleets of Xerxes I. The Greeks withdraw to Salamis.
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Aug 480 BCEBattle of Thermopylae. 300 Spartans under King Leonidas and other Greek allies hold back the Persians led by Xerxes I for three days but are defeated.
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Sep 480 BCEBattle of Salamis where the Greek naval fleet led by Themistocles defeats the invading armada of Xerxes I of Persia.
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479 BCEXerxes' Persian forces are defeated by Greek forces at Plataea effectively ending Persia's imperial ambitions in Greece.
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c. 430 BCE - 415 BCEThe Histories of Herodotus is published. The work is divided into nine chapters, each dedicated to one of the Muses.
