Not Just 300 Spartans: The Men Who CHOSE to Stay #Shorts
Pack: 49 - Not Just 300 Spartans The Men Who CHOSE to Stay
Everyone remembers the 300 Spartans at Thermopylae in 480 BCE. Almost nobody remembers the Thespians, who could have left and chose to stay. The story from Herodotus, with ancient Greek and Persian art and the pass itself.
- Herodotus lists several thousand Greeks at the pass: 300 Spartans, men from Arcadia, Corinth and Mycenae, 700 Thespians, 400 Thebans, 1,000 Phocians and the Locrians of Opus (Herodotus 7.202–203).
- When the Persians came round by a mountain path, Leonidas, Herodotus believed, sent most of the allies away (Herodotus 7.213, 7.220).
- The Thespians stayed willingly: "they would not depart and leave Leonidas and those with him", and they died with them (Herodotus 7.222, tr. Macaulay).
- Herodotus names their commander, Demophilos son of Diadromes, and their bravest man, Dithyrambos son of Harmatides (7.222, 7.227).
- Xerxes' army then burned Thespiae, whose people had already fled to the Peloponnese (Herodotus 8.50).
So why do the Spartans get all the credit? Tell us in the comments. Full story in our documentary, The Full History of Greece. Watch the full documentary: https://youtu.be/k3mrc7OCCNk
Quick answers
What is “Not Just 300 Spartans: The Men Who CHOSE to Stay” about?
Everyone remembers the 300 Spartans at Thermopylae in 480 BCE. Almost nobody remembers the Thespians, who could have left and chose to stay. The story from Herodotus, with ancient Greek and Persian art and the pass itself.
What are the key facts?
Herodotus lists several thousand Greeks at the pass: 300 Spartans, men from Arcadia, Corinth and Mycenae, 700 Thespians, 400 Thebans, 1,000 Phocians and the Locrians of Opus (Herodotus 7.202–203). When the Persians came round by a mountain path, Leonidas, Herodotus believed, sent most of the allies away (Herodotus 7.213, 7.220).
What sources is this Short based on?
It cites Herodotus, The Histories, tr. G. C. Macaulay (1890), vol. 2 (Books 7–8), Project Gutenberg; Britannica, Battle of Thermopylae. Links are in the Sources list below.
Sources
- Herodotus, The Histories, tr. G. C. Macaulay (1890), vol. 2 (Books 7–8), Project Gutenberg
- Britannica, Battle of Thermopylae
Images
- A Greek hoplite fights a Persian, Attic red-figure kylix, 5th century BCE — unknown painter — CC0 —
- Aerial view of Thermopylae — Albinfo — Public domain —
- The mountains above the pass of Thermopylae — Ronny Siegel — CC BY 3.0 —
- Marble grave stele of a hoplite, c. 525–515 BCE — The Metropolitan Museum of Art — CC0 —
- Grave stele with a hoplite battle scene, c. 390 BCE — The Metropolitan Museum of Art — CC0 —
- Frieze of archers, palace of Darius I at Susa, c. 510 BCE (Louvre AOD 488) — unknown artist — Public domain —
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