Before reading the article, I hope you can click the "Follow" button, so that we can continue to push the article for you in the future, and your support is the driving force for Xiao Gong to move forward.
Anyone who has watched the movie "The Three Hundred Warriors of Sparta" is shocked by its majestic battle scenes and the combat effectiveness of the Spartan warriors. The film transports us to that era of valor, and allows us to witness how the Spartan warriors withstood the earth-shattering attack of 300,000 enemy troops with 300 men. However, despite the gripping plot in the film, we can't help but ask: is it really possible for such a story to happen?
In the long course of history, the story of the 300 warriors of Sparta has been circulated, and it is a symbol of the heroic and indomitable spirit of the Spartan nation. However, from a historical point of view, the authenticity of this story is debatable. But for movies, they are all written based on history. So today let's talk about those things in Sparta.
In the distant days of ancient Greece, it was not yet a unified country, but a continent scattered with many small states. These small countries are siloed and have their own unique cultures and traditions. Among them, Athens, Sparta, Macedonia and Troy are particularly eye-catching. Among these many city-states, Sparta was unique and became a country with distinctive characteristics.
Sparta was known for its strict military discipline, oligarchy, and militarism. In this country, political power was concentrated in the hands of a small number of nobles, who ruled the country with an iron fist, ensuring the strength and unity of the country. In this country, every citizen is a soldier, who has received rigorous military training since childhood, fought for the country, and died for the country. This system of all soldiers gave Sparta a strong deterrent among the city-states at that time.
Because of the power and majesty of Sparta, other city-states did not dare to challenge its position easily. They knew full well that being hostile to Sparta meant endless wars and disasters. Thus, although Sparta may seem ruthless in some ways, its existence did maintain peace and stability throughout the Greek world.
During the ancient Greek period, the Persian Empire was a huge power, and it relied on its great military power to fight everywhere and invade other countries. Naturally, the land of Greece also attracted the attention of Persia. Sparta, as a powerful city-state in Greece, did not hesitate to respond to the provocations of the Persian Empire.
The First Greco-Persian War broke out, and as soon as the Persian Empire's army landed, it was met by the Spartan army. The Persian navy was also hit by a hurricane and was almost completely wiped out. Although the Persians were not content to be defeated, they threatened the Greek states, and many city-states chose to surrender. However, the two powerful city-states of Athens and Sparta refused to give in.
In the Second Greco-Persian War, Athens joined forces with Sparta to fight against the Persian invasion. In the place of Marathon, Athens defeated a 100,000-strong Persian army with 10,000 men. This victory greatly boosted the morale of the Greek states and strengthened their determination to resist Persia.
By the Third Greco-Persian War, Persia had changed its leadership and gathered an army of 100,000 to attack Greece again. Sparta and Athens joined forces again, and the Spartan king Leonidas led several thousand Greek troops to Thermopylae to stop the Persian army. The terrain of Thermopylae Pass was treacherous, and the roads were narrow, and the Spartans took advantage of the terrain to hold on for two days. However, by the third day, traitors appeared in Greece and revealed a path to the Persians that would allow them to go around to the rear of the Spartan army for encirclement. In desperation, Leonidas ordered most of the Greek army to retreat, and he himself led 300 warriors to hold on to Thermopylae until the last man fell. This is the famous Battle of Hot Springs.