The Battle of Thermopylae… or, the ‘300 Spartans’ – Part 5 of 5 (480 BC)
After the Persians recovered the body of Leonidas, Xerxes was apparently so enraged at the loss of thousands of his own soldiers that he ordered Leonidas’ corpse decapitated and crucified. This was highly unusual for the Persians, who typically showed great honor and respect for those who fought against them. However, Xerxes’ temper had a reputation: in 482 BC, he attempted to build two bridges across the Greek Hellespont, but when they were destroyed by a storm, Xerxes ordered the sea to be punished with 300 lashes. He also had the builders of the bridges decapitated, as if they had caused the storm themselves.
Soon after the Persian victory at Thermopylae, the Athenians gathered their naval forces and met the Persians in the Battle of Salamis. The Athenian navy was so strong that Xerxes was actually forced to retreat, leaving behind his land force. The remaining Persian army was later defeated in the Battle of Plataea by another allied Greek army, also led by the Spartans.
It is also interesting to note that in the Battle of Plataea, the Phocians who had retreated from their post during the Battle of Thermopylae had now shifted their allegiance to the Persians.
After the Persians were defeated and driven from Greece, the Greeks were finally able to collect their dead. The 300 Spartans were buried on the hill on which they had made their last stand, and a monument was erected in their honor. Forty years later, the Spartans recovered the bones of Leonidas from this gravesite and buried them in Sparta, where he was reburied with full honors and the establishment of an annual games competition in his memory.
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