Thermopylae-Pass of Fire: 300 Spartans Saga

Honor to those who in the life they lead define and guard a Thermopylae, never betraying what is right (from the poem: Thermopylae by C.P.Cavafys,translated by E. Keeley & Ph.Sherrard)

Thermopylae is located 15 km from Lamia and a short distance from the Maliakos Gulf. In ancient times, between the coast of the Maliakos Gulf and Mount Callidromon, there was a 9-kilometer passage. At three specific points of this passage, there were crossings where only a single chariot could pass. These were the famous Thermopylae Pass. The word "thermo" comes from the hot springs in the area, and the word "pylae" (gate) refers to the fact that this passage was the only route from North to South Greece. Additionally, the nearby hot springs created swamps, making the passage particularly difficult to cross. Since the Thermopylae Pass was the only connection between the northern and the southern part of Greece, the area had been a battlefield and a line of defense against various invaders for centuries.

During their second campaign against Greece in 480 BC, the Persians, under King Xerxes, crossed Thrace and Macedonia and camped in Thessaly. The Greeks decided to confront the large Persian armed forces at the Thermopylae Pass. The Greek forces numbered 6,200, led by the Spartan king Leonidas. The Athenians had sent all their men with the fleet to Cape Artemision, on the northern tip of the island of Euboea, and did not deploy any army on land at Thermopylae.

Xerxes delayed the attack for four days, hoping the Greek forces would retreat. Meanwhile, he sent messengers demanding the surrender of the Greeks, but he only received the famous response from Leonidas: "Molon Lave" (Come and take them). On the fifth day, he launched the attack, but during the first two days, he suffered huge losses thanks to Leonidas’ strategy: The 300 elite Spartan hoplites would attack, and then, pretending to retreat, would lead the Persians into the narrowest point of the pass, where they would reorganize and counterattack.

The Greek successes would have continued if not for the betrayal of Ephialtes, who knew the area well and showed Xerxes the mountain pass of Anopaia, which, passing through Mount Callidromon, led to the Greeks' rear. Xerxes accepted the circular movement strategy and sent the elite Immortals to encircle the Greeks. To guard the pass, Leonidas had sent 1,000 Phocians, but they were overwhelmed on the third day, caught off guard by the Persian forces. The position of the Greek allied forces was now desperate, and Leonidas ordered most of them to withdraw before retreat became impossible.
The only ones who remained were Leonidas with his elite 300 Spartan soldiers, along with 700 Thespians and 400 Thebans. Leonidas changed his strategy to inflict as many casualties as possible on the enemy forces. He moved the remaining soldiers to a wider part of the pass, deploying them in a phalanx (block of heavily armed infantry). In the ensuing battle, Leonidas fell. His comrades fought to recover his body but without success. Meanwhile, the Immortals attacked the Greeks' rear, forcing them to retreat to a higher point. The Persians began to respond with large waves of troops. The last soldiers, trapped and without their king, were killed to the last man by the Persian arrows. After the battle, Xerxes ordered Leonidas' head to be placed on a wooden post and displayed on the battlefield.

The outcome of the battle was far from useless, as it caused heavy losses to the Persian army and delayed their advance to Athens, giving its inhabitants time to prepare.At Cape Artemision, the Persians lost a total of 400 triremes due to bad weather, while in the final naval battle, the Greeks managed to reduce the numerical advantage of their enemies.
The road to mainland Greece was now open for Xerxes. However, the Greeks had not yet spoken their last word: They lured the Persians into a naval battle at Salamis, where the magnificent defeat at Thermopylae was followed by the magnificent victory at Salamis. The final chapter unfolded in August 479 BC at Plataea, where the Greeks, with the largest army ever assembled, defeated the Persians, ending Xerxes' ambitions for Greece.

The Battle of Thermopylae quickly attained legendary status, particularly the role of the Spartans. Their sacrifice was considered an example of obedience to the laws of their homeland and the desire for freedom. On the battlefield, at least three epigrams were erected, with the most famous being that of Simonides, placed on the tomb of the 300 Spartans: “Stranger, tell the Lacedaemonians that here we lie, obedient to their commands.”
The story of the Thermopylae Pass does not end with the battle of 480 BC. As it was the only passage from North to South Greece for centuries, it repeatedly became a battlefield. There, in 279 BC, the Greeks faced the invasion of the Gauls. In 191 BC, the Romans defeated the army of Antiochus III of Syria. At the end of the 4th century AD, the Goths, led by Alaric, passed through the pass and invaded Athens. The Franks, who conquered the Greek lands in 1204, also passed through the Thermopylae Pass during their campaign.
The Thermopylae Pass plays a role even in modern history. During the Greek War of Independence, it was one of the key crossings for the Turkish army into Central Greece and the Peloponnese, and once again became a battlefield between Greek and Turkish forces, with the most effective battle occurring in October 1825.During World War II, the Germans, as they advanced towards Athens, had to face the challenge of the Thermopylae Pass. On April 22, 1941, a German attack was repelled by the Allied force of New Zealanders in the area. However, two days later, the Germans launched a full-scale attack, applying the "Persian" tactic: They outflanked the New Zealand forces, who eventually retreated.Finally, during the Italian-German occupation, resistance forces clashed with German troops.The Thermopylae Pass, a symbol of freedom and resistance against the enemy, remains more relevant than ever. It serves as an example for those who fight, carrying an eternal message: no matter how difficult the circumstances, there is always a path for those who fight for freedom and true values!  
My Tipp: You can combine a day trip to Delphi with a visit to the battle field of Thermopylae.