The Spartan Strategy: A Battle Between Persia And Sparta In Thermopylae

Thermopylae on the east of Greece is also a small pass that was used as one of best Greek strategies against the Persians. The wide pass of Thermopylae allowed Athenian soldiers and Spartans to take on more Persian troops. The Persian Army was bigger and stronger than that of the Greek Allies. But bravery, strategy and courage helped the Greek Allies to make an impact on this army. Even though they knew what was coming, the Spartan soldiers who were known as the “300” fought with all their might and restrained Persian troops for three days. Even though they were clearly in a bad situation, the Spartans held on until Ephialtes (a Persian trader) led them to retrace their steps and take the Persians behind the Greeks. The Persians, who already had the upper hand, used their size to crush all 300 Spartan Soldiers. The Persian army had a clear advantage over the Spartan forces. The bravery and efforts of the Thermopylae soldiers have not gone unnoticed. In the past, we’ve celebrated their bravery. The 2006 film, “300”, was the most well-known example of Spartans’ devotion and loyalty to both their homeland and their allies.

The Greeks and their Persian adversary fought the battle of Salamis. The Greek’s used Salamis as a base for their operations. Although the Greek forces were vastly outnumbered, they still believed that they could put some damage on the Persian Fleets. Salamis ranks as one of ancient history’s most significant battles. The Greek fleets attacked the Persian fleets using the unique protection offered by Salamis. The Persians were hampered by the limited space that they could move in. The Persian king, Xerxes was impressed by the Greeks’ strategic abilities. Xerxes sat atop a high hill and watched Greeks take down fleets upon fleets of Persian vessels. The Persians, realizing that they would lose this battle decided to retreat from Salamis. The Persians also made a number of mistakes in communication. The Persians made a costly mistake when they backed up their fleet. This costly error caused a large number of Persian deaths.

. Both kingdoms had very different rules. In both Greece and Persia, power had a significantly different status. Persia, during this period, was a country that respected other nations and gave them the right to keep their traditions and customs. Cyrus began the trend of respect in 700 B.C. when he tore down his empire. Cyrus’ empire is regarded as one of history’s greatest empires. His people and the times of that time were astonished by his greatness as a warrior and conqueror. Cyrus enjoyed respect as a great liberator throughout many of the empires that existed at this time. His revolutionary and ambitious ways of ruling left a mark on history. Darius I carried on the legacy of Cyrus. Darius I built an empire to continue the Persian success. Xerxes was the king who followed Darius. Xerxes ruled Persia as king, and led the Persian military. He was Cyrus’ grandson, and Darius’ son. Both were great Persian leaders. He was loyal to his father but had a different style of leadership. Xerxes’ confidence in his army and himself was so high that he threw a thrown onto a hilltop to observe his army defeating his Greek opponents. The Persians were unable to recover from his poor strategy, which was costly and irresponsible. In spite of the fact that the Persians eventually won the war they could have done better with their plan. He ruled in a different way than his father or grandfather, who were nonviolent. Xerxes treated his conquered people with more severity. Xerxes consciously rescinded Egyptian customs when he conquered Egypt 485. Darius, Xerxes’ father, had a close relationship with Egypt and Babylonia during his rule. When Xerxes became ruler, he stabbed his father and grandfathers’ empires in the back and went against their accommodating ways of ruling.

Spartans had a different kind of city-state. The Spartans focused on training and maintaining their small army. Spartan cultural history reveals that loyalty and obedience to the country were of paramount importance. The Spartan Helots were the peasants who did the majority of manual work in the community, forcing others to join military. Spartan Boys were taught to fight at the age of seven. It was a discipline that proved advantageous in war, despite the fact that it was very strict. While Sparta fought Greece in the Peloponnesian Wars a sort of alliance remained between the two Greek nations. The Spartans were also close to the Athenians when they went into battle with the Persians. Spartans avoided wars between other empires by having a smaller military. The Spartans’ lack of soldiers also influenced their focus in battle. Spartans were known for their strategy and expertise. These strategies proved to be successful despite the uniqueness of Spartans. Spartan Navy’s military was its strongest. Leonidas’s final battle in Thermopylae is what makes him famous. In that battle, he, along with all of his men, was brutally slaughtered and killed by the Persian forces. Leonidas’ pride was evident. Leonidas fought with his 300 men knowing that their fate was awaiting them. Leonidas stood and died with his 300 men, despite the fact that they were facing a force of 10,000 Persians.

Leonidas was my favorite Spartan leader. I think that there’s no winner in a battle. Your job is done if you’re willing to die for what you believe. The band of 300’s ability to be so passionate about their country is an impressive accomplishment. I also believe in education and strategic planning. I admire Spartans who were so clear about the direction their military should take. It is useless to have a military without direction or obedience. You can play the game all you like, but you won’t win. The Persians definitely won the battle, but it was because they were outnumbered by the Greeks. It was the Persians who lost the war, and they were fortunate enough to be able to field thousands of extra troops. In any case, the larger force appears to be a positive. Keeping everyone in the loop is one of the biggest weaknesses when you have a big military. The technology was limited at the time, making it difficult to communicate with everyone. It is almost impossible to keep everyone in one place. It is still admirable to see the Spartans of thousands of years past. The Spartans hoped for good but did not fear bad. Also, I believe that the loyalty and unity of Leonidas’s army was a strength. Many of these values were lost over the years. The intimidation practices of ancient empires are now considered unconstitutional. They also fall below our “standards”. We are still making the same mistakes despite the obvious decline of America. The actions of our government are reflected in the example that we set. Everything made in America comes from China, even though we don’t support communism. In our everyday lives, we are dishonest. This is due to the lies we tolerate in America. These actions have consequences that are ignored and often brushed off. This is a dangerous way to live, and it’s destroying our society. It also affects younger generations in a younger age. It means that children younger than them are exposed to the awful reality we try to change. I understand that the government is frustrated and confused about “what to be doing” at all times, but I believe we will get further and further away from our goal if we continue to make the same mistakes. Although we’ve tried not to intimidate people, it seems that more discipline may be needed. It would take a lot of effort to make the first change, but it will become second nature. I do not believe we should go to the Spartans’ level. I think we need to make some changes. For example, a leader that has integrity and is passionate about change.