Thermopylae
Thermopylae (
Thermopylae is the site of
requires use of the pass. In ancient times it was called Malis, named after theThe land is dominated by the coastal floodplain of the Spercheios river and is surrounded by sloping forested
The A1 motorway linking Athens and Thessaloniki now follows the ancient shoreline and thus splits the pass; a modern-day monument to King Leonidas I of Sparta is situated on the east side of the highway, directly across the road from the hill where Simonides' epitaph to the fallen is engraved in stone at the top. Thermopylae is part of the "horseshoe of Maliakos", also known as the "horseshoe of death":[citation needed] it is the narrowest part of the highway connecting the north and the south of Greece. It has many turns and has been the site of many vehicular accidents.
The hot springs from which the pass derives its name still exist close to the foot of the hill.
Origin
Thermopylae means "hot gates," in reference to the presence of the hot sulphur springs in the area.[1] The cavernous entrance to Hades, the underworld of Greek mythology, was said to be at Thermopylae.[4] In one variation of the story of the Labours of Heracles, it was said that the waters at Thermopylae became hot because the hero Heracles tried to cleanse himself of Hydra poison in them.[5]
The first known
Battles
Greco-Persian Wars
Thermopylae is primarily known for the battle that took place there in 480 BC, in which an outnumbered Greek force probably of 7,000
For three days they held a narrow route between hills and the sea against Xerxes' vast cavalry and infantry force, before being outflanked on the third day via an obscure goat path named the Anopaea Pass. According to the Greek legend, a traitor named
Third Sacred War
In 353 BC/352 BC during the Third Sacred War, fought mainly between the forces of the Delphic Amphictyonic League, principally represented by Thebes, and latterly by Philip II of Macedon, and the Phocians. The war was caused by a large fine imposed on the Phocians in 357 BC for cultivating sacred land. The Spartans, who were also fined in that war, actually never fought in it as they were later pardoned.
Gallic invasion of the Balkans
In 279 BC a Gallic army led by Brennus initially engaged the Aetolians who were forced to make a tactical retreat and who were finally routed by the Thessalians and Malians by the river Spercheios.
Roman-Seleucid Wars
In 191 BC Antiochus III the Great of Syria attempted in vain to hold the pass against the Romans under Manius Acilius Glabrio.
Balkan invasion by the Heruli
At an uncertain date in the mid 3rd century AD, the Germanic tribe of Heruli were defeated by a Roman force sent to stop them.
Byzantine-Bulgarian Wars
In 997, the
Greek War of Independence
In 1821, a force of Greek fighters led by
World War II
In 1941 during World War II the
See also
- Battle of Thermopylae in popular culture
- Amphictyonic League
Notes and references
- ^ a b "Thermopylae" in: S. Hornblower & A. Spawforth (eds.) The Oxford Classical Dictionary, 3rd ed. (Oxford, 1996).
- ISBN 0-510-03271-0
- ISBN 0-300-10966-0
- ^ Croon, J. H. (1952). The Herdsman of the Dead: Studies on Some Cults, Myths and Legends of the Ancient Greek Colonization-area. H. De Vroede.
- ^ Larousse Encyclopedia of Mythology. Prometheus Press. 1959.
- ISBN 0-510-03271-0
- ISBN 0-306-81360-2
- ISBN 0-385-51311-9
- ISBN 0-520-20313-5
- ^ UC Berk. Ext. class "The Persian Wars" 30 September 2009; "Legends of Marathon and Thermopylae" Lecture at San Jose State 13 September 2010; OSHER/OLLI class "Ten Great Battles of the Ancient World" 24 October 2016;
Further reading
- Bradford, Ernie Dusgate Selby (1980). The battle for the West : Thermopylae. New York: McGraw-Hill. OCLC 5889053.
- Cartledge, Paul (2006). Thermopylae. Overlook Press, New York. pp. 313. OCLC 71266590.
- Fields, Nic (2007). Thermopylae 480 BC : last stand of the 300. Oxford: Osprey. OCLC 148997192.