The Battle of Thermopylae (480 BCE)
The Battle of Thermopylae was fought in 480 BCE between an alliance of Greek city-states and the invading Persian Empire under Xerxes I. Background The Battle of Thermopylae took place during the Second Persian Invasion of Greece. The conflict was rooted in the Ionian Revolt (499–493 BCE), when Greek cities in Asia Minor rebelled against Persian rule with limited support from Athens and Eretria. Persian King Darius I vowed revenge against the mainland Greeks and launched an invasion that ended in defeat at the Battle of Marathon in 490 BCE. ...