🛡️ 480 BC | Thermopylae: Before the Battle What you’re seeing: The Greek defensive position inside the “Middle Gate,” the narrowest section of the Thermopylae pass. Hoplites from Sparta and allied cities stand in formation near the repaired Phocian Wall as their commander moves through the ranks. Dialogue (Classical-style Greek): ὦ φίλοι, κρατεῖτε! — “Friends, hold fast!” μὴ φοβεῖσθε, Ἕλληνες! — “Do not fear, Greeks!” ἡ τιμὴ ἡμῖν ζῇ — “Our honor lives on.” Why “Hot Gates?” The name comes from the sulfur hot springs nearby, where Herodotus notes an altar to Heracles stood. The pass was not just tactical ground but religiously significant. Why only 300 Spartans? The battle coincided with the Carneia, a Spartan religious festival during which military campaigns were restricted. Leonidas took his 300-man royal bodyguard (the Hippeis) as an advance force; the main Spartan army was supposed to follow after the festival. It never arrived in time. Who betrayed them? According to Herodotu...