The Battle of Thermopylae, as we all know, occurred in 480BC between the Persian Empire and the mainland Greeks. At the end of the three days of battle the Greeks, under the Spartan King, Leonidas were finally beaten and the Persians were free to march onto Athens.
The photo above was taken from the small hill, identified as the hill where the last of the Spartans made their final stand. It looks north towards the battlefield, the hot springs are in the middle ground and at the base of the steep slope. On the right, where the modern road now goes, is ruffly where the sea may have been back in 480BC. This means that in front of the hot springs and the curve in the road may have stood the first wall and in the far distance, on the flat ground would have camped the army of Xerxes.
The second photo (above), was taken looking back over the modern road towards the hill, of the Spartan’s Last Stand. The hill was identified as the most likely place for the final part of the battle as hundreds of Persian arrow tips have been found all over the mound.
The third photo was taken on top of the hill. It is a modern plaque, placed over the old one which reads “Tell the Spartans, stranger passing by, that here obedient to their laws we lie.”
The last photo in this series was taken from the base of the hill, looking east, towards the modern-day memorial to King Leonidas.
