Everyone loves seeing an underdog upset a team that is heavily favored to win. Whether it is the number one team in college football losing to an unranked opponent, or a child rising above the social barriers in his life and making it big, these stories encourage and excite us. Of course, the Battle of Thermopylae is no exception to our desire for seeing a group defy the odds and come out victorious. When 300 Spartan soldiers, along with men from other Ionian city states, gazed at the sea of Persian men amassed in front of them, no doubt they knew they would be crushed by the waves of the enemy. King Xerxes overlooked the site of the battle from his throne with complete confidence. How could 80,000 of his great army lose to 5,000 Greeks? Finally
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It was a 15 meter wide pass, “with a sheer cliff protecting their left flank and the sea on their right.” Considering the Phocians, or the locals, had constructed a defensive wall called the Middle Gate, the area was pristine for Spartan fighting (Cartwright). Additionally, with each side of the Greeks naturally protected, by a cliff and the sea, the phalanx would be allowed to focus solely on the attacking Persians in front of them. Without having to worry about being flanked by the enemy, the phalanx would be a perfect counter to the usual Persian strategy of surrounding and overwhelming an opponent with thousands of arrows. Cartwright explains, “Although the Persian tactic of rapidly firing vast numbers of arrows into the enemy must have been an awesome sight, the lightness of the arrows meant that they were largely ineffective against the bronze-armoured hoplites. Indeed, Spartan indifference is epitomised by Dieneces, who, when told that the Persian arrows would be so dense as to darken the sun, replied that in that case the Spartans would have the pleasure of fighting in the shade. The narrow pass would also limit the number of Persian infantrymen who were able to fight the Spartans at one time almost nullifying the immense numbers that Xerxes brought with …show more content…
The dory, a seven to nine foot long spear, was perfect for thrusting (“Spartan Weapons”). Also, the butt of the spear had a tip of iron or bronze which was used to fix the spear into the ground and protect the user from being pushed back by the sheer weight of a charging soldier, although; it was not uncommon for soldiers to use the butt of the spear for attacking. However, if the combat became close or the phalanx was broken, the short sword would be more effective since the spear’s length would make it difficult to maneuver in the tight mass of bodies
It was a 15 meter wide pass, “with a sheer cliff protecting their left flank and the sea on their right.” Considering the Phocians, or the locals, had constructed a defensive wall called the Middle Gate, the area was pristine for Spartan fighting (Cartwright). Additionally, with each side of the Greeks naturally protected, by a cliff and the sea, the phalanx would be allowed to focus solely on the attacking Persians in front of them. Without having to worry about being flanked by the enemy, the phalanx would be a perfect counter to the usual Persian strategy of surrounding and overwhelming an opponent with thousands of arrows. Cartwright explains, “Although the Persian tactic of rapidly firing vast numbers of arrows into the enemy must have been an awesome sight, the lightness of the arrows meant that they were largely ineffective against the bronze-armoured hoplites. Indeed, Spartan indifference is epitomised by Dieneces, who, when told that the Persian arrows would be so dense as to darken the sun, replied that in that case the Spartans would have the pleasure of fighting in the shade. The narrow pass would also limit the number of Persian infantrymen who were able to fight the Spartans at one time almost nullifying the immense numbers that Xerxes brought with …show more content…
The dory, a seven to nine foot long spear, was perfect for thrusting (“Spartan Weapons”). Also, the butt of the spear had a tip of iron or bronze which was used to fix the spear into the ground and protect the user from being pushed back by the sheer weight of a charging soldier, although; it was not uncommon for soldiers to use the butt of the spear for attacking. However, if the combat became close or the phalanx was broken, the short sword would be more effective since the spear’s length would make it difficult to maneuver in the tight mass of bodies