[Unit 2.3] The Battle of Thermopylae - 4000 Essential English Words

The Battle of Thermopylae This is a true story. It happened long ago in Greece. We must fight, the Spartan chief told his small army of brave men. They were at a great disadvantage. There were only 300 of them. The Persian military had hundreds of thousands of men. They were going to lose unless they could secure a small entrance. The enemy couldn't move through it easily. They intended to stop the enemy here. The chief and his men got ready for the battle. Soon, long lines of the enemy's army twisted around the hills. The chief met the enemy with laughter. He knew that his men's weapons and skills were better. The Spartans trusted their leader and obeyed him. First, the enemy soldiers shot arrows from their bows. The chief told his men to lift their shields. The arrows stuck into the shields but did not hurt any of the men. Then the enemy soldiers attacked the Spartans with long spears. The chief surprised them. His troops rolled logs down on the enemy. They fought for three days. Though they hardly slept at all, the chief and his men remained steady. But the enemy found a way to beat the Spartans. The chief and all of his men were killed. Even though they lost, the Battle of Thermopylae is one of the most famous battles in history.