What happened to the horse of Troy?

What tactics did the Greeks use to win the Thermopylae?

More than that, eastern tactics relied on the fluid maneuver of the cavalry, the marksmanship of the archer, and the fighting power of the individual. On the open plain such tactics could pay dividends, but not at Thermopylae, which was tailor-made for hoplite shock tactics. Unlike the Middle Eastern troops, the Greeks fought as a tight unit.

How many helots were with the Spartans at Thermopylae?

Speaking of those helots (AKA slaves), around 900 of them were said to have accompanied the 300 Spartans to the Battle of Thermopylae, staying behind with them in the fight to the death.

What happened after the Battle of Thermopylae?

After the battle was finally won by the Persians and the remaining rear guard of Greeks had been killed (many of them by the Persian archers, as later excavation would prove), the leader of the Greek forces was given a particularly humiliating punishment by the Persians.

What is the primary source for the Battle of Thermopylae?

The primary source for the Battle of Thermopylae comes from the ancient Greek historian Herodotus, known as the Father of History. To be fair, he was also called the Father of Lies for his tendency to also report on stories that were largely fictional, as well as for his exaggerations.

How did the Athenians defend the Thermopylae?

To block the Persian advance, a small force of Greeks blocked the pass of Thermopylae, while an Athenian-dominated Allied navy engaged the Persian fleet in the nearby straits of Artemisium.

What happened to the Greek king after the Battle of Thera?

1. A Fallen King After the battle was finally won by the Persians and the remaining rear guard of Greeks had been killed (many of them by the Persian archers, as later excavation would prove), the leader of the Greek forces was given a particularly humiliating punishment by the Persians.

What happened to the Persian army after the Battle of Mycale?

However, the following year the remainder of the Persian army was decisively beaten at the Battle of Plataea and the Persian navy at the Battle of Mycale. The Persians made no further attempts to conquer the Greek mainland.

Why did the hoplites hold the pass of Thermopylae?

So the Greek plan developed that a crack corps of hoplites would hold the pass of Thermopylae, the gateway to central and southern Greece. Their mission would be to forestall the Persian land advance long enough for the Persian navy to attempt an outflanking maneuver in the adjacent Euboean channel.

Why is the Battle of Thermopylae so important?

It’s a battle which has inspired Western thought ever since it happened. We’ve seen it recreated in a graphic novel by Frank Miller, which turned into the extremely popular movie 300 by Zack Snyder. This was the Battle of Thermopylae, a moment which came to define the struggles of the Greek city-states in their wars against the vast Persian Empire.

How did the Greeks win so many battles?

The Greeks had a navy and cavalry. Both were very strong and helped them win many battles. Their ships were called triremes. Triremes moved by mainly the oarsmen, but also by sail when not in battle.

Who was the author of the Battle of Thermopylae?

Such a Storyteller. The primary source for the Battle of Thermopylae comes from the ancient Greek historian Herodotus, known as the Father of History. To be fair, he was also called the Father of Lies for his tendency to also report on stories that were largely fictional, as well as for his exaggerations.

Why did the Thespians choose Thermopylae for their final stand?

The conclusion is that the Thespian soldiers chose Thermopylae to make their heroic final stand en masse, something which the Thespians would go on to do two other times later in their history. 1. A Fallen King

How many hoplites did the Persians have at Thermopylae?

Unlike with Sparta, the 700 hoplites from Thespiae represented their entire fighting force. While it’s true that they stood to lose a great deal if the Persians got through Thermopylae, it’s worth pointing out that by this time, the city of Thespiae had been successfully evacuated.

How many Spartans did Leonidas bring to the Thermopylae?

Of the 300 Spartans that accompanied Leonidas to Thermopylae, the Spartan king made sure that he only brought men with living sons who could continue their family lines. 30. Sounds Like a Heck of a Week

How many helots were in the Battle of Thermopylae?

Three Per Spartan Speaking of those helots (AKA slaves), around 900 of them were said to have accompanied the 300 Spartans to the Battle of Thermopylae, staying behind with them in the fight to the death.

How many helots did the Spartans bring to battle?

The helots were also made to fight. We are told by Herodotus that the Spartans brought 35,000 helots to fight at Plataea (479 B.C., Hdt. 9.28.2) and helot forces of light infantry appear elsewhere in the sources.

What happened to the Greek army after the Battle of Thermopylae?

In the resulting Battle of Thermopylae, the rearguard of the Greek force was annihilated, whilst in the Battle of Artemisium the Greeks had heavy losses and retreated after the loss at Thermopylae. This allowed the Persians to conquer Phocis, Boeotia, Attica, and Euboea.

How many people died at the Battle of Thermopylae?

According to Herodotus, 4,000 Greeks and 20,000 Persians died during the Battle of Thermopylae. However, as with any of his claims, we have to take this with a grain of salt.

Why did the Persians not use elephants in the Battle of Thermopylae?

The Persians didn’t bring any charging elephants or rhinos to the Battle of Thermopylae. This was a liberty taken by 300 author Frank Miller and the filmmakers, in order to add to the movie’s elements of fantasy. The Persians did use horses in battle, as their army was twenty percent cavalry.

Why was Sparta reluctant to defend the Thermopylae?

But because Sparta depended on the help of the Athenian navy, she reluctantly agreed on the defense of Thermopylae. Sparta’s hesitation was reflected in her committing a mere 300 of her several thousand “Spartiatai” hoplites to Thermopylae’s defense.

How many Athenians were there at the Battle of Thermopylae?

Seven hundred Thespians, 1,000 Phocians, 400 Thebans, and a small number of Locrians rallied to Leonidas’s side. By the time he got to Thermopylae in the summer of 480 bc, Leonidas commanded about 7,000 troops. There were no Athenians among them.

What was the result of the Battle of Thera?

The Greek victory allowed Macedon to revolt against Persian rule; and over the next 30 years, Thrace, the Aegean Islands and finally Ionia would be removed from Persian control by the Allies, or by the Athenian-dominated successor, the Delian League.

Why did Xerxes decide to fight the Peloponnese?

Although heavily outnumbered, the Greek Allies were persuaded by Athenian general Themistocles to bring the Persian fleet to battle again, in the hope that a victory would prevent naval operations against the Peloponnese. Persian king Xerxes was also eager for a decisive battle.

What happened to Pyrrhus after the Battle of Thera?

Plutarch wrote that Pyrrhus lost his best troops and his most trusted generals and friends. However, some of cities allied with the Romans went over to him. He marched to within, 60 kilometres from Rome, plundering the territories along the way.

How did the Battle of Mycale start?

Greek hoplites, encased in 70 pounds of thick bronze armor, and fighting shoulder-to-shoulder in phalanx formation, were the most formidable soldiers on the planet. So the Battle of Mycale started just as the Persians intended, but its conclusion most certainly was not what they expected.

What happened to the Persian Empire after the Battle of Salamis?

After the Battle of Salamis and Xerxes’ departure from Greece, the Persian general Mardonius led the Empire’s large contingent of remaining troops north of Athens to Thessaly, an area of central Greece called Aeolia in ancient times. They wintered there and plotted a new onslaught against the Greeks that would take place the following year.

What happened to Xerxes after the Battle of Mycale?

Xerxes retreated to Asia with much of his army, leaving Mardonius to complete the conquest of Greece. However, the following year, the remainder of the Persian army was decisively beaten at the Battle of Plataea and the Persian navy at the Battle of Mycale.