" BATTLE OF THERMOPYLAE"
480BC
The Immortals, Persia:








Herodotus mentioned an elite group of well trained men known
as the 10,000 or the Immortals that fought for the Persian army
against the Greeks at Thermopylae.          
Out of all the Persian army, the Immortals were not only the best
picked but also the best equipped. They were heavy infantry.  They
used a short spear with a counter balance, short sword,dagger, a
large leather/wicker shield and a bow and arrows.  Their dress
consisted of a long sleeved tunic, trousers, felt cap and a long coat
of mail.  I believe the basic battle tactic was for the first few ranks to
charge the enemy while the back ranks fired arrows to support the
attack. (I wasn't there so I'm not 100% positive, but it works for
me).  If a soldier died or became sick he was replaced right away
with another, so the regiment always stayed at 10,000. No more
and No less!
The Immortals were always followed by a wagon train loaded
with the best of supplies, slaves and their women, unlike the rest
of the Persian army.
At the Battle of Thermopylae, the Immortals attacked the Greeks
but sustained heavy losses just as the rest of their army did.
It was also the Immortals that marched all night on a goat trail
through the mountains to surround the Greeks and cut off any
retreat at Thermopylae.  
"THE TRAITOR"
"The Spartans"

The Spartan Society started to train the
young boys at 6 or 7 years of age.   At that
age, they were taken away from their
families and trained in a very harsh way.  
The purpose was to make them strong
and have them "act as one" (team effort),
and everything that they did was for the
Glory of Sparta.   They were taught to
fight, steal, kill and most importantly, to
survive.   It worked because  Sparta
became the best of all the Greek City
States in military warfare.   I would like to
add that the women were also educated to
fight and survive.   Not as harsh as the
men however, but they could also "hold
their own!"   The women were given a lot
of freedom and they were not treated like
2nd class citizens as  in other Greek City
States!  (Yea, for women's lib!)
The Hoplites' weapons consisted of a
Dory(spear) 7-14 feet long, Aspis (shield)
roughly 3 feet in diameter,  bronze Helmet
(the purpose of the horse hair crest was to
make them look taller to the enemy,
average height of a man then was 5'7"),  
bronze cuirass or a linothorax,  bronze
greaves and a short sword.
The enemy was walking into a solid wall
of metal!
The Spartans fought in a Phalanx which
was their secret for success.  (See my
History page for more info on the
Phalanx).  The reason some of the Dorys
were so long was so the 3rd, 4th and 5th
ranks could reach over the first few ranks
and "thrust it into an enemy. "  (I wonder if
that is where the commercial came from?  
"Reach out and Touch Someone" Ha Ha
ok...it was only a thought. Sorry!)
The Spartans that were hand picked to
fight at Thermopylae all had sons that
could carry on the blood line.  (Always
thinking ahead.  I like that!)
Ephialtes of Trachis
Diodorus, The Greek historian, speaks of Ephialtes (avaricious local farmer) coming to the rear.  Of
course, there were several mountain passes around Thermopylae, but Leonidas chose what he
believed would be the most vulnerable and sent one thousand men to guard it .

On the dawn of the third day, Leonidas discovered that his thousand men rear-guard had retreated
into the mountains. He knew that the Persians would surround him before noon. As a result, he sent
the majority of the Greeks home except for his Spartans and 400 - 700 Thespians who were forced
to stay in fear of collaboration with the Persians.

Ephialtes expected to be rewarded by the Persians, but this came to nothing when they were
defeated at the Battle of Salamis.  He then fled to Thessaly;  the Amphictyons at Pylae had offered a
reward for his death.   According to Herodotus,  he was killed for an apparently unrelated reason by
Athenades of Trachis, around 470 BC;  but the Spartans rewarded Athenades all the same.
THE NUMBERS GAME
Greeks:  5,000 - 7,000 ?
Persians: 250,000 - 800,000?
Traitors:  1
"CONTENT"
The Numbers Game; Map;

"Aristodemus"
My Name Sake!

Aristodemus was a Spartan warrior, one of the famous Three Hundred sent to the
Battle of Thermopylae. He was one of only two survivors of the Three Hundred, as he
was not present at the last stand. Along with a comrade, Eurytus, Aristodemus was
stricken with an eye infection, causing King Leonidas to order the two to return home
before the battle, but Eurytus turned back, though blind, and met his end charging into
the fighting.

The Greek historian Herodotus believed that had both.... Aristodemus and Eurytus
returned alive, or had Aristodemus alone been ill and excused from combat, the
Spartans would have ascribed no blame to Aristodemus.   However, because Eurytus
did turn back and die in combat, Aristodemus was regarded as a coward and
subjected to humiliation and disgrace at the hands of his compatriots; in the words of
Herodotus, "no man would give him a light for his fire or speak to him; he was called
Aristodemus the Coward".

The other survivor of the Three Hundred was a man named Pantites, who had been
sent by Leonidas on an embassy to Thessaly.   He failed to return to Thermopylae in
time for the battle, and on finding himself in disgrace in Sparta, hanged himself.

"Plataea"
At the Battle of Plataea, Aristodemus fought with such fury that the Spartans regarded
him as having redeemed himself. Although they removed the black mark against his
name, they would not award him any special honors for his valour because he had
fought with suicidal recklessness; the Spartans having regarded as more valorous
those who fought while still wishing to live.   Aristodemus charged, berserker-like, out
of the phalanx and was gravely injured, but survived until the last of the Persian wars
had ended at Salamis.
AGAPITE MOY PHILE, Agesisrtatos and The Famous"Spartiatikes Mores" From
Greece.  If only I lived Closer...I would love to be a member of this fine
Spartan Group!
Based on information from Herodotus's The Histories Book VII, the date
of Ephialtes' betrayal and use of the mountain path by the Immortals can
be narrowed to a few days in September of 480 BC, as follows. Not
knowing the terrain, they would have needed some form of light, but
torches would have given away their intent. They therefore traversed the
path when light from the moon would be the greatest - the full moon. In
Book VII Herodotus mentions the solar eclipse that occurred at the
crossing of the Hellespont by the Persians. By estimating the distance the
Persian army could move each day, it can be established that the battle
took place around September of 480 BC. Tracing back via a lunar
calendar, the date of the betrayal can be narrowed to September 18, 19, or
20, 480 BC.
THANKS TO FOTIS KERASARIDIS battle of thermopylae