How did the Spartans prolong their defence at Thermopylae?
Introduction:
I have decided to base my project on the battle of Thermopylae which occurred 479-480 BC. I am going to discuss how the renowned three hundred Spartans and their king, Leonidas, defended their country from Xerxes and his vast Persian army of an estimated three hundred thousand men. The topics that I will include in my discussion will range from phalanx warfare and how this technique pushed the Persians back multiple times. I will also talk about the Spartans choice of weaponry and armour and how their choice over the Persians gave them an advantage. Another topic which I will discuss is the brutal nature of the 'Agoge' which was the compulsory training that all Spartan males had to go through from the age of seven until they turned twenty. I will also discuss the fact how six thousand 'soldiers' from various Greek cities aided the Spartans in their defence and how this might have prolonged their defence at Thermopylae. Another topic I will discuss is the environment in which the Spartans were holding the line and how this affected the Persian attack against Greece.
I…show more content… This mainly was behind their knowledge and creation of Phalanx warfare; a tactic used by many Greek states and many other empires such as the Romans at a later date which included a strong and well held wall of shields that was almost impossible to penetrate. The Spartans used this tactic along with their renowned skill in fighting to hold the line against the Persian masses. The Spartans would hold the line, thrust their shields upwards, pushing the Persians troops back causing them to stagger then shortly after they would thrust their spears or the 'Dory' through multiple Persians before lowering their shields again. This tactic was repetitive for many days and was effective for the Spartans, killing hundreds perhaps thousands of Persians a
