War and Military Atlas

How Battles Were Fought
Battles and Campaigns

Battle of Thermopylae

480 BC, Greco-Persian Wars

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The Battle of Thermopylae was fought in 480 BC between the Achaemenid Persian Empire under Xerxes and an alliance of Greek city-states led by Sparta under Leonidas I, as part of the second Persian invasion of Greece. Lasting over three days, around 7,000 Greeks, including about 300 Spartans, held off a much larger Persian army before being outflanked by a mountain path revealed by the local resident Ephialtes, ending in a Persian victory and the deaths of Leonidas and his remaining rearguard.

Facts
Battle Type
Pitched land battle at a mountain pass 1
Year
480 BCE 1
Location
Thermopylae, Greece 1
Outcome
Persian victory 1
Sources
1. Wikipedia: Battle of Thermopylae
Lead section, para 1
Quote, Lead section, para 1
one of the most prominent battles of both the second Persian invasion of Greece and the wider Greco-Persian Wars
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1. Wikipedia: Battle of Thermopylae
Lead section, para 2
Quote, Lead section, para 2
Around 7,000 Greek forces, including approximately 300 Spartans, held off a much larger Persian army
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1. Wikipedia: Battle of Thermopylae
Infobox: Date
Quote, Infobox: Date
21-23 July, 20 August, or 8-10 September 480 BC
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1. Wikipedia: Battle of Thermopylae
Infobox: Location
Quote, Infobox: Location
Thermopylae, Greece (38 47 45N 22 32 13E)
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1. Wikipedia: Battle of Thermopylae
Infobox: Result
Quote, Infobox: Result
Persian victory
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