The Battle of Thermopylae was a Pyrrhic victory (victory in defeat) for the Persians because although they won the battle, the Persian land forces were exhausted and it led to their defeat at Salamis. The outstanding events at this battle was that approximately 300 Spartan soldiers fought to the death in thisbattle. They , yes were vastly outnumbered. But it spoke to the courage and skills of the Spartan soldiers.This helped the Greek city-states to win the overall war.
The Battle of Thermopylae was a Pyrrhic victory (victory in defeat) for the Persians because although they won the battle, the Persian land forces were exhausted and it led to their defeat at Salamis. The outstanding events at this battle was that approximately 300 Spartan soldiers fought to the death in thisbattle. They , yes were vastly outnumbered. But it spoke to the courage and skills of the Spartan soldiers.This helped the Greek city-states to win the overall war.
The ancient battle that took place in Thermopylae in 480 B.C.E. can quite sensibly be called a victory in defeat. One reason is that it both intimidated the Persian army and bought time for the rest of the Greek alliance to prepare to meet the Persian invasion. Another reason is that it demonstrated the moral victory of courageous persons, fighting for a cause they believe to be just, choosing valiant resistance (and death) over submission to an invading force.
The Greek alliance fleet failed to defeat the Persian fleet in the nearby strait of Axxxxx, which was the reason to block the Thermopylai pass - to force the sea battle.
It did not. Athens was occupied by the Persians, its people evacuated and given refuge in southern Greek cities and its forces were embarked on its fleet to help defeat the Persians at sea.
There was a narrow pass leading to southern Greece. By blocking it, they hoped to force a sea battle in the adjacent strait and defeat the Persian fleet and so remove the sea threat to their cities. the sea battle failed, and the blocking force vacated the pass.
The overall Greek strategy was to thwart the Persian advance at the narrow pass of Thermopylae using a Spartan/Thespian/Theban blocking force , while at sea the Athenian Admiral Themistocles was to prevent Persian naval forces from outflanking the Greek land contingent by making an amphibious landing behind the Spartan King Leonidas and the Greeks . Themistocles was able to defeat the Persians at the sea battle of Salamis and the Greeks were able to withstand the Persian infantry assaults only to be outflanked on the land because the traitor Ephialtes had shown the Persians a way of outflanking the Greeks by showing the Persians a way around the pass of Thermopylae .h
The battle of Thermopylae was a delaying land action to force the Persians into a sea battle to try to destroy the Persian fleet which threatened the Greek cities whih kept their main armies at home to protect their cities against amphibious attacks. This plan failed as the Persians won the sea battle of Artemesion in the strait next to Thermopylae, and the Thermopylae force was withdrawn as it was no longer required. So Thermopylae turned out to be unimportant other than propaganda for the Spartans on the sacrifice they made to allow the other Greek contingents to escape when the delaying position was abandoned. The southern Greeks tried again at the sea battle of Salamis, this time defeating the Persian navy, with the result that the Persian fleet no longer threatened the Greek cities and they were able the following spring to send out their armies to combine against the Persian army and its Greek allies and defeat it at the battle of Plataia. This land defeat was helped by the Persian army being depleted because it's defeated navy was withdrawn to Asia Minor and could no longer protect the Persian resupply fleet, and half the Persian army had to be sent back to Asia as it could not be fed during the winter in Greece. So Thermopylae is just a good story. Salamis sealed the outcome of the war.
The Greek alliance fleet failed to defeat the Persian fleet in the nearby strait of Axxxxx, which was the reason to block the Thermopylai pass - to force the sea battle.
It was intended by the Greeks to force a sea battle to defeat the Persian navy in the nearby strait of Artemesion. The Greeks lost the sea battle, so the Thermopylai battle was unimportant. However it became an important symbol of self-sacrifice, but that was after the war.
Its blocking of the pass was designed to precipitate a sea battle to defeat the Persian navy. Unfortunately for the Greeks their fleet lost, and the force at the pass was withdrawn.
That today its purpose of precipitating a sea battle in the nearby strait of Artemesion to defeat the Persian fleet has been replaced by emotional stories of trying to defeat the Persian army, and that it was a Spartan effort rather than a coalition of Greek cities who rallied to the dangerous mission.
The Greeks placed a delaying force in the pass at Thermopylae to force the Persians into a naval battle in the nearby Artemesion Strait, hoping to catch the Persians in narrow waters and defeat them. The naval battle failed, and the Greek delaying force, its mission no longer required, was withdrawn. To protect the withdrawal, the Spartan and Thespian detachments remained holding the pass to let them get away, and were destroyed, sacrificing themselves to save their comrades.
No , the Spartans along with a Theban contingent of infantry were overwhelmed by Persian forces at the pass of Thermopylae . But, they held up the Persian advance until the rest of the Greek city-states could coordinate their efforts to defeat the Persians. Athens' fleet defeated the Persian Navy at Salamis. Unable to receive supplies by sea, the Persians were forced to retreat overland where they were harassed by Greek guerrillas until the Spartans could exact their revenge at the Battle of Plataea.
The Battle of Thermopylae was a defeat for the Greeks and therefore had no major influence on history. It merely held up the Persian advance for a while and provided a romantic image of military bravery for people in the future to look back upon.The Battle of Marathon and the Battle of Salamis were much more important. These were the battles that, unlike Thermopylae, defeated the Persian invasions of Greece and secured the freedom of the Greek city states.Since the Greek city states were the basis of European civilization, historically, it was important they remained free or the entire history of the world from then on would have been quite different!
By blocking the pass at Thermopylae the Persians were forced into a sea battle at Artemesion nearby in order to try to outflank the pass. The Greek fleet was waiting to pounce to defeat the Persian navy in order to eliminate the threat it posed to the Greek cities. Unfortunately for the Greeks, they lost the sea battle and had to withdraw. The blocking force at Thermopylae, no longer required. withdrew back to their cities, the Spartan and Thespian contingents staying behind to cover the withdrawal and being eliminated.
The traitor Ephialtes had shown to the Persians a path leading through the mountains which enabled the Persians to outflank and overcome the Greek rearguard composed of both Spartans and Thebans .
It did not. Athens was occupied by the Persians, its people evacuated and given refuge in southern Greek cities and its forces were embarked on its fleet to help defeat the Persians at sea.
It did not. Athens was occupied by the Persians, its people evacuated and given refuge in southern Greek cities and its forces were embarked on its fleet to help defeat the Persians at sea.
Battle of Yorktown