Thermopylae

In 480 BC, a huge Persian

army, led by the inimitable King Xerxes, entered the mountain pass of Thermopylae

as it marched on Greece, intending to conquer the land with little difficulty.

But the Greeks—led by King Leonidas and a small army of Spartans—took the

battle to the Persians at Thermopylae, and halted their advance—almost.

It is one

of history’s most acclaimed battles, one of civilization’s greatest last

stands. And in Thermopylae, renowned classical historian Paul Cartledge looks

anew this history-altering moment and, most impressively, shows how its

repercussions have bearing on us even today. The invasion of Europe by Xerxes

and his army redefined culture, kingdom, and class. The valiant efforts of a

few thousand Greek warriors, facing a huge onrushing Persian army at the narrow

pass at Thermopylae, changed the way generations to come would think about

combat, courage, and death.