January
12
/ 2024
In 480 BC, King Xerxes led the mighty Persian Empire to punish Greek city-states for meddling in his affairs. The Greeks, forming a coalition of 31 states, strategically planned their defense at the Isthmus of Corinth. Initially positioned at Tempe, they shifted to Thermopylae, where Spartan King Leonidas and 7,000 men made a valiant stand. Simultaneously, the Greek fleet guarded the sea flank at Artemisium. Facing a Persian force of around 200,000 troops and a vast navy, the Greeks displayed resilience at the Battle of Artemisium, repelling the invaders despite numerical inferiority. News of Leonidas' defeat threatened their position, leading to the strategic withdrawal and abandonment of Athens. Xerxes The Great: The Powerful Persian King Whose Death Destroyed an Empire
