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Published: February 28th 2009
Leonidas Statue
Statue of Leonidas errected in memory of the 300 Spartans who sacrificed their live to defend Hellas against the persian invasion. During my last trip to Athens in Sep. '08 I stayed for about 18 days and I had alot of time to hang out with my friends from there. One day I got a call from my friend Nick who gave me an offer I couldn't for my life say no to! He arranged so that one of his friends would take us up north to the legendary "Hot gates" where one of the most important battles of ancient history took place more than 2400 years ago! You've all heard about it. There's a film called "300" based on the myths and tales of the battle at Thermopylae that took place in 480 B.C. There's an 1998 released book named "The Gates Of Fire" by Steven Pressfield. And there's alot more... especially people into heavy metal music must be familiar with the concept of "The gates Of Fire".
Without getting into a deep analyzis of facts, as it would bore you to death anyway, I'll try to give you a short but accurate backround information before continuing my efforts to describe my overwhelming meeting with King Leonidas underneath the skies where the brave 300 spartan royal guards fell among with
Hot springs of water
What gave Thermopylae it's name. "Hot Gates" 700 thespians in an attempt to hold off King Xerxes endless hordes by blocking the narrow passage at Thermopylae so many years ago!
Important to say is that alot of the facts about this battle we first got from Herodotus's masterpiece simply called "The Histories" written in ancient greek about 440 B.C. something. Often concidered to be the oldest historical document in western culture and the very beginning of history as an academical subject. Important to say is that it's amazingly accurate to what scientists and professors think today but one must keep in mind that his work was based on words orally spread and he didn't have the same instruments to calculate facts and numbers as we have today, nor did he have the same chance to check facts. He simply had to reach to his conclusions based on his own knowledge about things and based on what he found most likely to be the truth and so on. Therefore some of the numbers might be exaggerated, some theories are vaguely prooved and so on.
Nevertheless his work was written approximately 40 years after the actual battle took place so concerning the last war against the persians this is the closest source we get. His work reaches way back before the beginning of the Persian expansion but let's focus on the fourth attempt by the persian kings to expand their territory heading west into Europe. They had failed 3 times before, first time defeated by Scythian tribes, second time defeated by the forces of nature when their fleet failed to reach Greece and they lost most of it. And the third time in 490 B.C when they were defeated by Athenian forces at the famous battle of Marathon. This was when Darius was King of Persia.
Now on their fourth march his son Xerxes was King. According to both legends and historical documents he was said to be a cruel tyrant but most of these facts comes from greek sources so one must keep in mind perhaps they are not the most objective. The winner writes the history and in the end the greeks won this war even if the battle of Thermopylae was destined to be lost.
When the greeks got the news that Xerxes massive hordes crossed the Bosporus into Europe they weren't really prepared to meet such an impressive and massive army.
Thermopylae
Lovely colour of water. Smells disgusting though, due to the concentrated minerals. I don't know what minerals make that awful smell? All the different states of Ancient Greece had to put their inner conflicts aside 'cause now an outer threat jeapordised the whole existens of a liberated Greece. Never before had an army so huge been seen. (The exact numbers of the army varies from 10 000 - 5 000 000 but most modern historians agree that the most likely is about 100 000 - 200 000 soldiers at most). The Spartan King Leonidas marched with 300 elite soldiers of his own personal bodyguard to face the persian army at the narrow passage of Thermopylae.
According to legend he was determined to stop them long enough to give time for the rest of the greek states to gather their forces. We don't know why he marched with only 300 soldiers but the theories are many. Some claim (as in the film 300) that the priests of the Oracle at Delphi forbid the Spartan army to march to war becuase it would dishonour the Gods to march to war during the holy Carneian festival that was celebrated in honour of Apollon. Others claim he marched with only 300 handpicked soldiers, all fathers of sons to carry on their names because he
knew they were all going to die, according to legends the oracle had told that a Lacedamonian King must die or whole Greece would fall for the Persians.
No matter what reasons he had most sources agree on 300 spartan royal guards died the on the final day. Important to mention though is that from the first day of the battle the greeks were not only 300 they were a few thousand. About 4000 something if my memory doesn't fail me. They fought for three days under heavy weather, many persian ship sank into the deep of the ocean as if the greeks were supported by Poseidon and Zeus themselves! Those persians who managed to reach the battlefield faced the most well trained and strategically superior armed force the ancient world have ever witnessed. The spartan hoplites. Heavy armed foot soldiers fighting in phalanx where every singel unit defended his friend to his left with his shiled strapped on his left arm while all soldiers striking in a singel unit movement with their right hands. They were aremed with spears and short swords.
The greeks kept the persians off for 2 days and only on the third day
the persians manage to break their defences by sneaking through the mountains, guided by a local greek traitor to a secret passage so that they could surround the greeks and attack them from both ends. MOst of the greeks fled on the dawning of the third day when news got them that they were about to be surrounded, however Leonidas and his 300 remained among with 700 thespians. They fought bravely 'til last man! We don't know why they stayed, if they choosed to, as legends say, or if they had to, but concerning the Spartan culture it's very likely that they refused to give up as they were all forged to embrace a glorious death in battle and surrendering was a word unknown to them. The city of Sparta didn't even have walls for protection as they fought exclusively with hoplites in fields. Everything but fighting man to man on open ground is said to be a disgrace. No matter what the reasons were the fact remains that these men fought 'til their last breath and their deaths all gave time for the greek states to unite and finally defeat the persians in following battles, mainly lead by spartian and athenian forces.
I had huge troubles falling asleep the day before our trip 'cause I was so excited and all I could think of was all the songs I've heard about the battle, everything I've read and I tried to picture what Thermopylae looked like. I was told before that the narrow passage existed no more and today this place looked nothing special. Just the mountains on one side and then some fields on the other side, where the battle took place but the more than 2000 years since made the landscape look alot different. Nothing like what you see in the film '300' for instance. But this didn't take away any of my anticipation as I was about to see the very famous Leonidas statue and at least walk on the ground where those brave men died.
After several hours of staring at the roof in my hotel room at Exarchion Hotel I finally managed to get some sleep and at last we hit the road! It takes about 3 hours to drive to Thermopylae from central Athens. It's highway all the way (E75) and you drive towards Lamia.
After some hours drive in heavy rain we finally reached the exit. The view here is amazing with the mountains and I think the nature is even more beautiful when it's raining and the air is foggy. However the heavy rain ruined the pictures I took badly, but come to think of it I'm glad 'cause it was a comfort to the terrible September heat and the Highways on Greece isn't the best either, rather "bumpy" so you easily get a headache unless you bring lot's of water! Ruined photos or not, GOD BLESS THE RAIN!
There are not words to describe my anticipation when we entered the exit road and slowly drove along the mountains. All of the sudden my friend cried out - "Here it is". Once we got out of the car the first thing we did was actually not visiting the statues, better save the best as a grande finale! Instead we went to see one of the hot springs of water that comes out of the mountain. Water with a crystal clear "blueish" colour due to the concentrated minerals. This water springs are what once gave this palce it's name. Thermopylae. Thermo = Hot/Warm. Looks great, it's hot and I'm sure you can take a swim any day of the year unless you mind the awful smell. It's said to be very healthy for your body though, but I have no idea about such things?
All the time I spent there I couldn't help thinking that I was walking on the verys same ground that so many people died so many years ago and still today almost 2500 years ago I walk there and in my silent thoughts hail and salute them for their deeds, isn't it strange how you can feel so strong for people who's name you do not know, who's language you doesn't speak and who's culture is so different from ours, while at the same time poeple are dying in wars and battles all around the world in present time and you don't even bother reading the news about them? Sad to say...
The legends and myths are what makes histories of long dead people live on. Of course those legends and myths comes from written sources themselves but nowdays, now that we know so much about historical facts the legends are neglected and reduced to "uncertain facts" while the heroes they host are reduced to anonymous charachters with nothing but a name and all their deeds are questioned. The sceptics always neglect the possibility that Leonidas could have been the greatest hero of ancient history though they can't with 100 %!c(MISSING)erntainty proof he wasn't so therefore the legend have all the right to live on. Anythin else would be unworthy someone who did in fact die the way he died.
So finally we reached the Leonidas statue on the opposite side of the road. The statue itself is very majestic and much bigger than I expected it to be! They could have placed the "electricity/phone - cables" or whatever it is a bit further away though - as they completely ruin the ancient feeling. = (
Despite the cables my meeting with Leonidas is great. Before I've never met him from pictures in books and on the internet now here I was facing the grea king himself and I was almost kneeling in front of him to shim him my respect and gratitude, if it wasn't for the dirty ground I might aswell have given it a try haha! Glad I didn't 'cause I would probably look like the most stupid tourist ever kneeling in front of a statue.
Next to the Statue of Leonidas. 50 - 100 meters to the left theres another memorial statue of the upper body of a thespian hoplite except that the statue has no head or arms which my friend explained symbolizes the fact that no one ever knew the name of the thespians who died, "voluntareliy" as the legend says.
The heavy weather we had also helped create the perfect gloomy athmosphere that suits perfect for a raging battle and according to the legend also the first day of the battle was fought under thunder and lightning.
This was also a rather impressive statue though it's much smaller than the Leonidas one. I love how they're placed just in the wide open fields with absolutely no signs or anything wahtsoever telling what they're all about. Except some short inscriptions in greek. That works for me, though I suppose the average toursit might find it a but irritating. For me it just made it look more natural and it adds a bit to the myths that it's not a big toursit attraction like for instance Akropolis. That's the absolutely best with the Thermopylae. If you'r intrested in history and would like to see this you'd better go there in late summer or off season 'cause you'll have the place on your own and the very few people you meet there are more intrested in the hot springs than the statues anyway.
The Gates Of Fire (The Hot Gates) truly are a remarkable legend and a remarkable historical place about an historical battle. Imagine what the greek warriors must have felt when they faced such an superior force said to include immortals (Xerxes personal elite troops of 10 000 soldiers were called The Immortals). They must have felt the pressence of Zeus, Ares, Poseidon at their side when they fought and the afwull smell of and the cries of wounded persians must have made them think of Hades....
*
"Go forth children of Sparta, bravest seed of all the times
Wield your shield with your left hand,
and with your right raise high your spear
Don't hesitate to sacrifice your life,
this is the cause you have been raised
true decendants and heirs of Achilles,
with your battle stand the enemy delayed"
(*English translation of an ancient poem by Tirtaios)
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passenger
Maya
not bad
hey really good first blog! and since when are you flying :P