Leonidas+I


 * King Leonidas I **
 * If it weren’t for King Leonidas bravery to sacrifice himself and his small army of 7,000 (300 Spartans) at **** Thermopylae **** ; the second Persian invasion of **** Greece **** may have been won by the Persians. The **** Battle **** of **** Thermopylae **** was to try and hold off the Persians long enough for **** Athens **** to evacuate its people and army/navy to the **** island **** of **** Salamis **** . **
 * Xerxes and his large army was to conquer all of Greece for which his father Darius I, failed to do so during the first invasion of **** Greece **** . He planned to invade during the Athenian Olympics and the Spartans Carneia; which didn’t allow the Greeks to organize a well enough army to attack the Persians. The invasion was imminent, so the Greeks chose to block the straits of Artemisium and the pass of **** Thermopylae **** (the hot gates) which Leonidas took charge of to calm the people who lived nearby **** Thermopylae **** . **
 * Leonidas got his royal body guard (consisting of 300 Spartan men who have sons to take on the name) to go and defend the hot gates. Others soon joined to try and help in the cause of defense. Within their arrival the Persians waited five full days before their first initial assault on the Greeks. When the Persians attacked the Greeks the narrow pass made the Persians numbers mean for nothing. At night of the first day Xerxes sent his personal bodyguard called the “Immortals” to the frontlines to be later slaughtered by the Greeks in the pass; it was said that Xerxes jumped out his chair three times while watching the battle. On the second the Persians sent their troops to their death again thinking that the Greeks sustained many wounds and losses. Xerxes baffled didn’t know what else to do. Then a Traitor fueled by reward told of an alternate path to encircle the Greeks. Xerxes sent 20,000 men on the mission to do so. **
 * At dawn the third day the Persians attacked the Phocians guarding the path and failed to defend it. A runner told Leonidas of Phocians defeat at the path. The small Greek army started to panic and started to leave. While others stayed to try and buy more time for the retreat of **** Thermopylae **** . Leonidas stated he would stay behind and fight to the death. When the Persian army finally came, and encircled the Spartans and the other Greeks (Thespians, Thebans). The great final stand started; after so much fighting in the front lines Leonidas fell from being shot by archers. In Leonidas leadership, bravery, and self sacrifice the soldiers fought over who will have the great hero’s body. After four bloody assaults the Greeks won the body and fell back to the wall for the final last stand. After bloodier fighting on the wall, spears and short swords began to break. Men began to fight with their bare hands until death which did come. **
 * If Leonidas didn’t take charge of **** Thermopylae **** the whole defense may have didn’t buy enough time for the Athenians to evacuate. He led his men to battle and even stayed back to sacrifice himself and his men for the sake of **** Sparta **** . Leonidas was a great leader and made Xerxes pay for the battle. **

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"Biography: King Leonidas I of ancient Sparta." //helium.com//. Helium, 29/10/07. Web. 13 Apr 2011. .

"Leonidas I." //answers.com//. Britannica, n.d. Web. 13 Apr 2011. []. Image links [] [] [] [] ||
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