Thermopylae 480 BC Last stand of the 300

by Fields, Nic; Noon, Steve

• ISBN13: 9781841761800
• ISBN10: 184176180X
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2007-11-20
• Publisher: Osprey Publishing

Summary

Thermopylae resonates throughout history as a battle involving extreme courage and sacrifice. It was in this rocky pass in northern Greece that Leonidas, king of the Spartans and commander-in-chief of the Greek force, delayed the Persian hordes for three days against overwhelming odds. Finally overcome by treachery, the remaining Spartans refused to retreat in the face of inevitable defeat, being slaughtered by the elite Persian 'Immortals' down to the last man. Nic Fields vividly describes the battle for the narrow gateway to southern Greece as the combined Greek forces held off the army of Xerxes and Leonidas's sacrifice bought time for the retreat and tactical and political regrouping that would save Greece. Full color artwork, detailed maps and dramatic battle scenes complement clear and authoritative text to provide an in-depth analysis of one of the most famous acts of sheer courage and defiance in the face of overwhelming odds in history. Related Titles 978 1 84176 000 1 CAM 108 Marathon 490 BC 978 1 85532 659 0 ELI 66 The Spartan Army 978 1 84176 358 3 ESS 36 The Greek and Persian Wars 499-386 BC

Author Biography

Dr Nic Fields started his career as a biochemist before joining the Royal Marines. After leaving the military, he went back to University and completed a BA and PhD in Ancient History at the University of Newcastle. He was Assistant Director at the British School at Athens, Greece, and then a lecturer in Ancient History at the University of Edinburgh. Nic is now a freelance author and researcher based in southwest France. The author lives in Augustin, France.

Table of Contents

Introduction	p. 7
Origins of the Campaign	p. 8
Chronology	p. 12
Opposing Commanders	p. 13
Leonidas, king of Sparta
The kings of Sparta Xerxes, Great King of Persia
Opposing Armies	p. 21
The Greeks
The Persians
Opposing Plans	p. 47
The Greek plan
The Persian plan
The Campaign Begins	p. 55
The naval battle of Artemision
The Battle of Thermopylae	p. 62
The days before the battle
The first day
The second day
The third day
Between history and legend
After Thermopylae	p. 90
The Battlefield Today	p. 93
Bibliography	p. 94
Index	p. 95
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