The Battle of Thermopylae 480 B.C Quiz

Answer: Leonidas

King Leonidas was son of King Anaxandridas and thought to be a descendant of Heracles (Hercules). He only took his 300-man personal guard to fight because their religion did not allow fighting at that time of year. The Oracle of Delphi also foretold that to save Sparta, a king would have to die, one from the line of Heracles.

Answer: False

The 300 Spartans actually had the aid of 700 Thespians and a few thousand other Greeks including Thebans, Helots (Spartan slaves), Arcadians, and Phocians. However, near the end of the battle, most of the Greeks fled and only the Thespians, about 1,500 Greeks (mainly Helots), and Spartans remained.

Answer: Xerxes

Xerxes I of Persia was a member of the Achaemenid dynasty and ruled for 20 years. After fighting at Thermopylae, Xerxes advanced through the Greek mainland and pushed the Greeks back to the Isthmus of Corinth, their last stronghold. The Battle of Salamis that took place afterwards resulted in a Greek victory and a following victory at Platea spelled the end for Xerxes' attempt to take the Greek mainland.

Answer: Immortals

The Immortals were constantly kept at a force of 10,000, if a member was killed or wounded, he was immediately replaced. The Immortals fought on the second day of the Battle of Thermopylae, however, the Spartans were able to fend off the Immortals and they had to retreat for the day.

Answer: Ephialtes

Ephialtes was tempted by the riches and rewards Xerxes offered for his information, so he showed him a path around the pass that allowed the Persians to come up behind the Greek forces. After the revelation of this pass, the Persians surrounded the remaining Greeks and Spartans (some had fled).

The Greeks and Spartans left fought to the death with their last breath but were ultimately annihilated. The Medes were a group of Iranians captured by Xerxes in his earlier conquests, Hydarnes was a Persian commander, and Darius I was the father of Xerxes I.

Answer: Head cut off and crucified

Xerxes was extremely angry at the death of so many of his soldiers, so he ordered his head to be cut off and his body be crucified. This was unusual, because Persians usually treated worthy opponents with honor. Later on, after the Greeks won and the Persians left, the dead were gathered up and buried on a hill where a stone lion was put up to honor them. Forty years later, Leonidas was reburied in Sparta with full military honors.

Answer: Hellespont

The two bridges that Xerxes had built over Hellespont collapsed in a storm. In his rage, Xerxes had Hellespont whipped 300 times, had fetters thrown in, and had the engineers who built the bridges beheaded.

Answer: Dienekes

Dienekes was a Spartan officer who was considered the bravest of all 300 Spartans at the battle. His response to the arrow statement was actually told to a friend, not to the Persian who said it. Herodotus was a historian who docmumented what happened at the battle, Leonidas was the Spartan king and Meneleaus was a Spartan in Homer's Illiad.

Answer: True

The wall of bodies was a mortifying site to the oncoming Persians, who were forced to press on by their commanders. Once they climbed over the wall, they found themselves in a tight fix and many were killed in this manner.

Answer: Demophilius

Demophilius was one of the few Greeks that pledged to fight to the death alongside the Spartans. He and all 700 of his men were killed in the final stand along with all 300 Spartans. Diadromes was Demophilius's father. Xiphoi is the name of the short sword the Spartans used, and Mardonius was a Persian commander.