🏛️ Battle of Thermopylae (480 BC) - Part 1 What happened? Leonidas and a Greek coalition held the Hot Gates for 3 days. A local guide led Persians around a mountain path, outflanking the pass; Leonidas dismissed most allies while a rearguard fought on. Spartans and Thespians died; Thebans surrendered. How many fought? Not just “300.” Roughly 7,000 Greeks defended the pass, including 700 Thespians, 400 Thebans, and 1,000 Phocians. The 300 Spartans were a picked guard of men with living sons. Why this pass? The narrow ground neutralized Persia’s numbers and paired with a Greek naval stand at nearby Artemisium. Aftermath: Thermopylae was a defeat, but it bought time. Persia took Athens soon after; the tide turned at Salamis in 480 BC and the invasion ended at Plataea in 479 BC. How we know about this battle? Our main ancient account is Herodotus, The Histories, Book 7. He wrote several decades after the events, drawing on travel, interviews, and earlier traditions, so historians rea...