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Leonidas of Sparta

1 - I can do better 2 - Jury's out 3 - Pretty darn good 4 - Splendiferous 5 - Awesometastic (by 2 people)   Your rating: 1 - I can do better 2 - Jury's out 3 - Pretty darn good 4 - Splendiferous 5 - Awesometastic

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Leonidas - King of Sparta (540 - 480 BC)

 

Leonidas, king of Sparta, had one great battle, but it was a whopper!

Leonidas, trained from an infant age to be a warrior, led an estimated army of 7000 (shrinking to just 2000 after the second day) against a Persian army numbering anything from 60,000 - 2.1m at the Battle of Thermopylae.

The efforts of the Spartans held back the army for two to three days killing thousands of Persians and giving Greece enough time to prepare defences to win the war.

Leonidas is one of the Greatest Warriors Ever 

Leonidas is one of the Greatest Warriors ever.

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Latest news about Leonidas 

This is Sparta!
In August 480 BCE King Leonidas of Sparta, along with all but two of his 300 chosen champions, perished in an act of gloriously heroic self-sacrifice at the ...
Molon labe Μολὼν λαβέ -"Come and take them!" King Leonidas I of Sparta
????? ???? was the defiant response of King Leonidas I of Sparta to Xerxes I of Persia at the onset of the Battle of Thermopylae (480 BC). ...
Television movies for the week of Nov. 23
Sparta's King Leonidas and his badly outnumbered warriors fight to the death against King Xerxes' massive Persian army at the Battle of Thermopylae. ...

Battle of Thermopylae 

The Battle of Thermopylae mópp?lee (Greek: ??????????), detailed primarily by Herodotus, was fought in August 480 BC, between an alliance of Greek city-states and the invading Persian Empire of Xerxes I, at the pass of Thermopylae in central Greece. Vastly outnumbered, the Greeks held up the Persians advance for seven days in total (including three of battle), before the rear-guard was annihilated in one of history's most famous last stands. During two full days of battle, the small force led by King Leonidas I of Sparta blocked the only road through which the massive Persian army could pass. After the second day of battle, a local resident named Ephialtes betrayed the Greeks by revealing a mountain path that led behind the Greek lines. Aware that they were being outflanked, Leonidas dismissed the bulk of the Greek army, remaining to guard the rear with 300 Spartans, 700 Thespian, 400 Thebans and perhaps a few hundred others.

The Persians succeeded in taking the pass but sustained losses disproportionate to those of the Greeks. Nevertheless, in doing so, they conquered Boeotia and Attica, burning Athens in the process. However, the fierce resistance of the Spartan-led army had given the Allies valuable time to prepare the defense of the Peloponnesus, at the isthmus of Cornith, and later that year the Athenian-led navy was able to win a decisive naval battle that would do much to determine the outcome of the war. The Greek victory at the Battle of Salamis prevented a naval invasion of the Peloponnesus, and therefore prevented the completion of the Persian conquest. Demoralised, Xerxes retreated to Asia, leaving a force in Greece under Mardonius to complete the subjugation of the Greeks. The following year, however, a full-strength Allied army defeated the Persian force at the Battle of Plataea, ending the expansion of the Persian Empire into Europe.Bury (1913), page 295.

Both ancient and modern writers have used the Battle of Thermopylae as an example of the superior power of a patriotic army of freemen defending native soil.http://www.victorhanson.com/articles/hanson101106.html The performance of the defenders at the battle of Thermopylae is also used as an example of the advantages of training, equipment, and good use of terrain as force multipliers, and has become a symbol of courage against overwhelming odds.

Videos of Leonidas and the Battle of Thermopylae 

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Battle of Thermopylae (Prince ...

Runtime: 5:31 | 3427 views | Comments

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Halo 3 Thermopylae

Runtime: 9:15 | 1343 views | Comments

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The Battle Of Thermopylae 1

Runtime: 9:18 | 252832 views | Comments

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300 movie / This Is SPARTA - S...

Runtime: 1:04 | 67890 views | Comments

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Go Tell the Spartans

Runtime: 8:05 | 3159 views | Comments

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Leonidas and his 300

Runtime: 1:47 | 10508 views | Comments

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Battle of Thermopylae - Part 1

Runtime: 9:33 | 1037 views | Comments

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Thermopylae 300 pisstake to AV...

Runtime: 8:07 | 211 views | Comments

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Halo 3 Thermopylae pt. 2 act 1

Runtime: 6:51 | 1252 views | Comments

Books, films and other products 

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What people are saying about Leonidas 

King Leonidas and The 300 Spartans of Thermopylae: 'Questions and ...
This blog will focus on King Leonidas & the 300 Spartans who valiantly fought until the death defending the Pass of Thermopylae in 480 B.C. Their heroism along with the other Greek warriors who defended the 'Hot Gates' has been ...
Molon labe Μολὼν λαβέ -"Come and take them!" King Leonidas I of Sparta
????? ???? was the defiant response of King Leonidas I of Sparta to Xerxes I of Persia at the onset of the Battle of Thermopylae (480 BC). Xerxes, whose forces vastly outnumbered the Spartans and their allies, offered to spare the lives ...
Hua Ming, Tirad Pass, and Thermopylae | Iloilo Views
It was also a Greek traitor that led the Persians to get into the rear of the Greeks and they killed the king of Sparta. Nene Pimentel must reread his history to find out how treachery in the ranks led to the defeat of Tirad Pass and ...

Images of Leonidas at the Battle of Thermopylae 

King Leonidas of Sparta and the tourists by Klearchos Kapoutsis

King Leonidas of Spa...

spartan by jhey

spartan

300 @ Madrid by snipfer

300 @ Madrid

300 (the film) Kitten King Leonidas gets a back rub from Xerxes I by guano

300 (the film) Kitte...

I am a Persian Girl! by Hamed Saber

I am a Persian Girl!

Greece 2006 144 Leonidas at Thermopylae by zongo69

Greece 2006 144 Leon...

Reader Feedback 

jprice wrote...

Hey Richard,
Real quick I think you are going to be an awesome lenmaster. I love Spartans and I would really love for you to expand this lens a little it really has a lot of potential.

Also change the name of your guestbook... the default names never look professional. Good luck and I can't wait to see more!

ReplyPosted June 07, 2008

triathlontraining wrote...

Very cool and informative lens! I knew nothing about this king of sparta before reading this. :)
5*

ReplyPosted June 06, 2008

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RichardMillington

About RichardMillington

Hi, I'm Richard Millington. I'm an intern working with Seth and the team at Squidoo for 3 months. Since I'm so keen on sports, I've helped launch SquidSports, a new platform that lets people make predictions about anything sporty they like.

I'm also rather keen on history. If you notice my lenses, you'll spot that many are about the greatest warrior of all time. So be sure to check them out.

I look forward to getting to know you all.

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