Pass of Thermopylae & Battlefield

Thermo-pylae (Hot springs or pillars) is one of the most famous battlefields in the western world.

I get asked this all the time: Even so, is it worth a special trip  just to walk the hallowed ground?

No its not for the average Joe or Josephene, but if passing through, definately Yes! If you want to rent a car and combine Thermopylae with Thebes or Mt. Pillion or any other excursion you can think of then do it! Near by are Ancient Gla and Battlefield of Chaironeia to name just a few) see Roumeli

Every school child has rapturously listened to the famous and thrilling story of sacrifice, honor and heroism epitomized by King Leonidas and his 300 Spartans warriors and to a lesser extent their 700 Thespian allies. All of whom knowingly sacrificed their lives, while holding the pass and fighting back the evil Persians in their unsuccessful attempt to invade-enslave Greece in 480 BC.

Above right: the monument inaugurated in 1955 by  King Paul of Greece to commemorate the 300 Spartans and erected at American expense. The burial mound is across the road and the monument to the 700 Thespians (pic left) just to the left of the monument itself and added apparently as an afterthought as its not incorporated into a cohesive design and is, in my opinion, an insipid edifice.

Once again, Thermopylae can be and is spelled a couple of different ways: Themopylae vs. Themopylai vs. Thermopyli vs.Thermopiles. Herodotus spells it: Thermopylae so that's how I am spelling it, at least for now. The sign below spells it Thermo-pylai ( Hot Pillars).

The pass of Thermopylae is approximately 200 km north by road from Athens and is today approached in the easiest manner possible, i.e.. by modern highway (The National Road E75).

The battlefield in its present state can be compared to a roadside attraction at which many tour buses, on their way to and from other destinations in Greece, stop.

Private motorists also pause in no small numbers and the police have an ingenious speed trap just up the road as well! There is parking,  just before the monument, on the right hand side heading north and on the opposite side too.

This is a free site and there are several explanatory signs describing the battle. I don't know about you but its a bit hard to imagine events of 2,000 years ago with cars, trucks and buses whizzing by a few feet away at 120 km per hours.

Like I said this is a free site and the road has to pass though here for obvious reasons like the snow capped Kalidromon mountains in the picture right. Kalidromon in Greek, incidentally means: Kali (good) Dromon (road/path).

The topography of the battlefield has changed quite radically over the millennia due to silt deposits from the Spercheois River. Its much wider (5km) now than it was then as the map left shows in the "you are here" section.

 

 

 

 

In ancient times the pass of Thermopylae was the only place on land for a sizable body of troops to pass from Thessaly into southern Greece.

The pass is roughly 6,000 plus meters long and bottlenecks at both ends.

When the Greeks chose this pass they, according to Herodotus, 'were unaware of the mountain track by means of which the men who fell at Thermopylae were taken in the rear and were only informed of this fact after arrival by the people of Trachis." Leonidas, in fact posted 1000 Phocians on the track, called the Anopaia, to guard the rear but they were overrun by Xerxes' 2,000 plus crack troops "the Immortals"

The total Greek force is estimated at 7,300 men while Xerxes' Persian army was estimated at over 5,000,000, including camp followers by Herodotus in book 7 of his Histories.

Modern scholars estimate it at a far more likely 300,000 strong. If you want to read the best account of the battle, Herodotus is the source.

Xerxes also had a huge navy which followed the army as close to the shore as it could get in a support role.

The Greeks knew this and since they had chosen Thermopylae as the battleground placed their fleet off Cape Artemision, Euboea to prevent the combined Persian fleet from sailing down the coast in support. One night while the Persian fleet was mosty beached or inshore a big storm came up and caused the loss of 400 ships. The Athenian Greeks, with 120 triremes, due to the wise council of Themistokles, had the biggest contingent of Greek naval forces. They avoided battle being greatly outnumbered.

As mentioned above, the combined Greek army was commanded by Leonidas King of Sparta and upon arrival at the pass ordered the repair of the existing defensive wall previously erected by the Phocians and took up position behind it in the center of the pass  facing north.

The Persians arrived and made several failed and costly assaults and had almost given up hope when a Greek Malian traitor named Ephialties (literal translation: nightmare) showed up and offered to show them the mountain path.

By the next morning the Persians were attacking the Greeks in the rear and the font. Leonidas, knowing that all was lost ordered the withdrawal of the main force who were local levies and not battle hardened warriors.

 

He kept his 300 Spartans and 700 Thespians and 400 Thebians who were kept back as hostages very much against their will and who deserted to the Persians at the first opportunity. Leonidas and the last stand of the Spartans was atop the nearby hill of of Kolonis and the warriors were buried "where they fell" in a burial mound still visible. Leonidas body was removed to Sparta 40 years later where he is also honored with a statue. All save 2 of the 300 Spartans were killed. One hung himself from shame and the other fought bravely at Platea. Spartan mothers use to tell their sons before battle "Come home carrying your shield or laying upon it". Surrender was not an option.

The reason the force of Greeks avaialble to meet the Persians was so small were several. One was that it was the period of the Olympic Games and a period of peace for the Greek city states. Two: The Spartans had their own sacred festival and like the rest only sent an advanced guard. Three: many Greeks thought they prefered the Persians (Sons of Perseus) to being ruled by the Spartans or the Athenians.

Greece Travelers may take a luxury coach tour, rent a car or empower themselves with a private Oracle tour of their own design. Consider these other popular Greece travel destinations. If its on the Greek mainland Oracle can take you there in air conditioned & non-smoking security!

Athens, Cape Sounion, Ancient Corinth, Delphi & Ossios Lukas, Drama, Florina, Greneva, Chalkidiki, Imathia, Kastoria, Kavala, Kozani, Meteora, Mt. Athos, Mycenaea, Naufplion, Olympia, Pella and Vergina, Phillipi & Kavala, Dion & Mt Olympus, Sparta & Mystras, The Mani and Monemvasia, Thessaloniki,
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