reply to post by ShadowXIX
While I can appreciate your thoughts on Thermopylae and the consideration of
Leonidas, your facts are
incorrect.
I have studied Greek and Roman history in their entirety all of my life as well as war history, war strategy, and the politics of war.
There were 300 Spartan's, 7000 other assorted Greeks, plus approximately 4000 Helot's present.
The reason the Helot's, who were slaves, were not counted, was both because they were slaves, who were armed, as well as being slaves they were
deemed as sub-human, so did not count and were not included because of their low social status.
Thermopylae, to me was the greatest battle ever, and Leonidas the greatest warrior ever.
Yep, I may be biased, especially being told I was Leonidas in a past life.
Leonidas, stood against the corruption of the politicians who played games with his men and were bought by emmisaries of Xerses, in the month of
August, the ritual or festival of
Carnea was observed.
The reason only 300 Spartan's were remembered at the
Battle of Thermopylae is that
Leonidas sent the other Greeks away because he wanted to show the Greek nations that Spartan's were the only true warriors, receiving all the glory
of having battled to the bitter end with Xerses forces, in essence, he was a gloryhound, but only in the aspect of his ego matching his might as a
true warrior-King.
The Greek's were always bitter rivals between each nation and were always susceptible to betrayal from within, which is why the saying of
"beware
of Greeks bearing gifts" is so appropriate, especially since the Trojan Horse is what led to the downfall of Troy the Greek's having learned
their lesson of betrayal from within.
In actuality, what most people do not know, is that Leonidas set a trap for Xerses at Thermopylae, knowing full well of the goat path that the Persian
"Immortals" used to get behind their defenses at the wall. King Leonidas, knowing full well of the betrayal of fellow Greeks, counted on this,
knowing they would get sick of real battle because for two days the King made the Persian pay dearly for their attempt at passing through the Hot
Gates, and after the second day, Leonidas sent the other Greek's away, belittling them as messengers to tell the other nations of Greece of their
glorious battle. He used this to his full advantage at Thermopylae, setting up the pass as a great chokepoint to bottle up the Persian's who were
numbered approximately at 200,000, with assorted supply bearers and various other people who brought their number well above 1 million.
What most do now know or realize is that the Persian's were cowards, they had to be driven to battle with whips and threat of torture, while the
Spartan's approached battle and death willingly.
Before anyone asks me, I thought the movie "300" sucked, it was not historically accurate enough for my liking, but then again it is Hollywood and
we all know they get paid to lie as a profession.
Go tell the Spartans, thou who passest by,
That here, obedient to their laws, we lie.
This saying is appropriate because Leonidas in essence told the politician's who were betraying Sparta and all of Greece with their complicit, tacit,
and implicit betrayal of his beloved nation that he and his Spartan's were the only true followers of the law because to betray ones nation was a sin
against Sparta and all they stood for which was to protect that which was theirs.
The Greeks always fought amongst themselves, but when it came to battling another outside force they would come together, this time however Xerses has
learned the lessons of his father Darius and had approached the correct politician's within all of Greece by sending emmisaries, spy's, and gold
aplenty to buy them or their cooperation.
Leonidas knew his dieing at Thermopylae would unite all of Greece as a wake up call because of the prophecy at the Oracle of Delphi of the death of a
King.
Hear your fate, O dwellers in Sparta of the wide spaces;
Either your famed, great town must be sacked by Perseus' sons,
Or, if that be not, the whole land of Lacedaemon
Shall mourn the death of a king of the house of Heracles,
For not the strength of lions or of bulls shall hold him,
Strength against strength; for he has the power of Zeus,
And will not be checked till one of these two he has consumed.
This was in essence, Leonidas seeking out how to use the system against itself, and bypass the bogus orders where he was told to stand down by the
corrupt politician's.
What most do not know as well, is that the Oracle of Delphi, is a nexus point where travelers flocked and the Oracle would pay the slaves of their
master's for information and the "prophecies" were in actuality the religious taboos mixed with actual intelligence collected from the travelers
coming to pay their respects to the Oracle.
Today's modern equivalent to the Oracle of Delphi is the C.I.A.
[edit on 22-8-2009 by SpartanKingLeonidas]
I believe Moses fired the first shot. 
