The Battle of Thermopylae
After King Darius died, his son, King Xerxes, organized another attack on Greece. Xerxes put together a huge army of more than
180,000 soldiers. To get his army to Greece, Xerxes chose to cross the Hellespont, a narrow sea channel between Europe and Asia. There he made two bridges by roping hundredsof boats together, with wooden boards across their bows. Then he walked his army across the channel into Europe. |
In 480 B.C.E., Xerxes marched west from the Hellespont and then south. Several Greek city-states were overwhelmed. Athens and Sparta decided to work together to fight the enemy. The Athenian navy would try to stop the Persian navy.Meanwhile,
the Spartan king, Leonidas, would try to stop the Persian army. |
The Spartans chose to make their stand at a place called Thermopylae, where the Persian army would have to go through a narrow pass between the mountains and the sea. Leonidas had only 6,000 to 7,000 soldiers to stop 180,000 Persians. Still, when the Persians tried to get through the pass, the Greeks drove them back. Then a Greek traitor offered to show the Persians a secret path through the mountains.The path would allow them to attack the Greeks from the front and the rear at the same time.
Leonidas knew that he could only delay the Persians. To keep his army from being destroyed, he ordered most of his troops to escape. With a much smaller army, including 300 Spartans, he prepared to fight.
The Spartans were obedient to the end. Legend says they fought until their weapons broke. Then they fought with their hands. In the end, all 300 were killed. But the Greeks would never forget their bravery
Leonidas knew that he could only delay the Persians. To keep his army from being destroyed, he ordered most of his troops to escape. With a much smaller army, including 300 Spartans, he prepared to fight.
The Spartans were obedient to the end. Legend says they fought until their weapons broke. Then they fought with their hands. In the end, all 300 were killed. But the Greeks would never forget their bravery
Questions:
Go to www.socrative.com/ and log in to the student login.
Use the class code: BATTLEOFTHERMOPYLAE
Answer the questions that correspond with the above reading!
Use the class code: BATTLEOFTHERMOPYLAE
Answer the questions that correspond with the above reading!