The Battle of Thermopylae took place in 480 BC. The exact dates are not known but it is certain that it took place in August or early September and lasted for 3 days. Even though it is not considered as critical for the outcome of the 2nd Greco-Persian War, as the Battles of Salamis and Plataea, it is often remembered as an example of heroic sacrifice in defense of the Fatherland.
Since the Battle of Thermopylae has been a popular theme for fiction, there was a propagation of many myths which are based on the original story but are not historically accurate. Here I will try to debunk the most famous of these myths by comparing them to the events as recorded by the historians.
Myth: 300 Spartan warriors travelled alone all the way from Sparta to Thermopylae.
History: The 300 were escorted by at least 800 non-combatant Spartans (Helots and Perioikoi), whose mission was to support the warriors by carrying their equipment and helping in the battle preparations.
Myth: 300 Spartans and 700 Thespians confronted an army of more than one million Persians.
History: According to a compilation of records by Herodotus and Diodorus, the total size of the Greek army was initially between 5,000 and 8,000 men. The most numerous groups consisted of Arcadians, Thespians, Phoceans, Locrians and Malians. However, the majority of the Greek troops withdrew from the area early in the morning on the 3rd day of the Battle, when the Persians, helped by the betrayal of Ephialtes, surprised the Greeks by attacking them through the secret mountain pass known as Anopaea. Only the Spartans (298 combatants and their escorts), 700 Thespians and 400 Thebans remained there to delay the Persian army while the other Greeks retreated to seek reinforcements and organize a stronger defense line, southern.
The Persian army was significantly smaller than the popular belief. Even though the total number of Persian citizens mobilized by the “King of the World” for the invasion of Greece could be more than one million, the number involved in the Battle of Thermopylae is estimated to be from 70,000 minimum to 300,000 maximum.
Myth: The Greek army was exterminated by the Persians and none survived.
History: It’s true that the Persians killed all the Greeks who chose to remain; however, as mentioned above, the majority of the Greek troops retreated before the final attack of the Persians. The groups that retreated also had casualties the first 2 days of the Battle though. The total casualties of the Greeks were at least 3,000 including the non-combatants. The Spartan warriors who confronted the last Persian attack and died were 298 as Leonidas had ordered 2 of them to leave before the final attack: Pantites who was sent to Thessaly in search of help and Aristodemos who suffered an ophthalmic infection and was sent back to Sparta.
Myth: The battle begun suddenly without any significant preparation from both sides and lasted for a few hours.
History: As mentioned above, the battle lasted for 3 days. Also, there were extensive preparations before the battle by the defending Greek side. They even had the time to renovate the Phocaean Wall. That wall already existed at the site of the battle but needed some renovation in order to be efficiently used for defense. The Phocaean Wall was approximately 1 m high and 100 m long as proven by its remnants that still exist.
Myth: Leonidas was a Rambo-type warrior who could exterminate hundreds of opponents on his own
History: Leonidas was born on 540 BC and was 60 years old at the time of the Battle, so he was not like what many people imagine. However, it’s true that he was well respected and famous all over Greece as a military genius and a general with great strategy skills. He was the supreme commander of the allied Greek troops in the Battle of Thermopylae with the approval of all other commanders, even of those who commanded more numerous troops.
Sources:
“Histories” by Herodotus of Halikarnassus
“Historical Library” by Diodorus of Sicily
If you have in mind any other popular myths or misinterpretations about the Battle of Thermopylae that I haven’t mentioned, please comment.
