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Thermopylae (480 b.c.)
 
War:   Persian-Greek Wars
 
Date(s):   480 b.c.
 
Location:   Lamia, Greece
 
Outcome:   Persian victory; Leonidas, King of Sparta, leads heroic rear guard action
 
Description:   As Xerxes, King of Persia, led a force of 100,000 men against Greece the Greek army took up position at the pass at Thermopylae. In order to give the main force of about 5000 Greek hoplites time to escape, Leonidas, King of Sparta, and a small force of 300 men fought a rear-guard action against impossible odds. All of the Greeks died but they provided enough time for the Greek army to escape.


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