King Leonidas - 300 Wasn't Enough: The Last Stand of King Leonidas at Thermopylae

the king immortalized in history as Leonidas was born in 540 BC in Sparta Leonidas was the Spartan King who famously led a small band of Greek allies at the Battle of theropo in 4 Han BC where the Greeks valiantly defended the past through which the Persian King Xerxes sought to invade Greece with his massive Army ultimately leonodus and his men were wiped out but they bought the Greek city states valuable time and gave an inspirational example not only of what Greek hoplight could achieve against the invading forces but also of the price Greeks were willing to pay to maintain their freedom from foreign oppression Herodotus in his histories describes the family lineage of leonidis which could be traced back 20 generations to the mythical hero Hercules leonidas's father was the Spartan King anax Andries himself the son of King leyon anax Andries however had some problems in producing an air after after his first wife proved Barren the Spartan effers and Elders to protect the Royal lineage forced anx Andes to take a second wife she did give birth to a son CLE meis but in a strange twist anex and's first wife announced she was also now pregnant and another son dorus was born then shortly after the first wife again gave birth sometime in 540s BC to leonidis and cleam brus some saying the latter were twins as Leonidas had two older brothers it seemed unlikely he would represent the Royal House of agiad and become one of the two Spartan Kings however he did just that following the death of dasas on a campaign in Sicily and the Mysterious suicide of cleomes who left no Heir Leonidas was married to gorgo clein's daughter and the death of her father meant Leonidas became king sometime around 490 BC Leonidas would have been in his 60s by the time of thermop and undoubtedly an experienced military commander although we know nothing of his previous commands following xerx proposed land invasion of Mainland Greece in 480 BC Leonidas was selected to lead a small contingent of Spartan hotlights some 300 handpicked men with male heirs to defend the PA of theropo and hold the invading Persian Force until more troops could be mustered the Spartan at this time were involved in the sacred caria festival and so theoretically could not go to war until it was over Sparta could well have fielded up to 8,000 hop lights but not during the carah the 300 Spartans were joined by troops from various other city states to make up a force of up to 7,000 men woefully inadequate to Halt xery's Army of 300,000 theropo 150 km north of Athens was an excellent choice as the point to defe defend Greece as their mountains rolled down into the sea leaving only a narrow pass along the coast nevertheless Xerxes was so confident of success that he sent a messenger to Leonidas to ask for the Greeks to surrender and lay down their arms the Spartan King's laconic reply was Mullen la come and get them with leonus leading from the front and the Greek troops fighting in their tight failinks formation they took full advantage of their Superior armor and weapons and managed to hold the vast Persian army for 2 days however betrayed by a local Shepherd who told the Persians of a mountain path that would allow them to get behind the Greek lines things looked Grim for the Defenders Leonidas ordered the bulk of his Force to withd draw and kept with him only the 300 Spartans to make a Last Stand and provide a rear guard action ultimately though the Greek forces were wiped out to a man and Apollo's Oracle at Deli had been proved right when she had stated that either Sparta or one of her Kings Must Fall after the battle Xerxes demanded that leonidas's head be put on a stake for public display a highly dishonorable act and against all rules of Warfare at that time leonida son pakus became King on his father's death but due to his young age penius acted as Regent the Greeks within a year gained revenge for thermop with victories at salamis and platia the latter was was even led by porsius nephew of leonidis xerx invasion was emphatically rebuffed and those who fell at thop were not forgotten a monument was set up at the site with the words of simones his Epitaph stating go tell the Spartans you who read we took their orders and here lie dead a stone lion was also placed in memory of Leonidas and his men 40 years after the battle the dead King was exhumed and returned to Sparta where they were given a proper burial and a hero Shrine was also established in his honor in Ancient Art King Leonidas is quite possibly the subject of a surviving marble statue from the Acropolis of Sparta 490 480 BC resplendant in a crested Corinthian helmet his face which would have had inlaid eyes depicts the Grim determination for which the Fallen King became a legend