King Leonidas was the fearless Spartan warrior who led a tiny Greek force against the massive Persian army of King Xerxes at the Battle of Thermopylae in 480 BCE. Sure, Xerxes won the battle, wiping out Leonidas and his soldiers, but their heroic stand inspired the Greek city-states to unite against the invaders. They bought Greece precious time to prepare, showing everyone just how far the Greeks would go to avoid becoming Persian subjects.
A Son of Hercules (Maybe)
The historian Herodotus traced Leonidas’ family line back 20 generations to the mythical powerhouse Hercules. His dad was Anaxandridas, a Spartan king and son of King Leon. Turns out, Anaxandridas had a rough start – his first wife couldn’t have kids. Not wanting the royal line to end, the Spartan leaders basically forced him to take a second wife. Surprise! Wife number two has a son, Cleomenes, then wife number one gets pregnant. She has Leonidas and his brother Kleombrotus (twins, according to some sources). Not done yet – wife number one has another son, Dorieus.
So, Leonidas has two older brothers – seems like being king wasn’t in the cards, right? Then life gets messy. Dorieus dies fighting in Sicily, and his brother Cleomenes dies suddenly too (some blamed too much partying). Cleomenes didn’t leave an heir, and Leonidas had married his daughter, Gorgo. So, in a wild twist, Leonidas found himself king of Sparta around 490 BCE.
Thermopylae
Leonidas was no spring chicken by the time the Battle of Thermopylae rolled around – probably in his sixties. Sure, we don’t know much about his military record beforehand, but he must have been one heck of a commander. So, when Xerxes decided to invade Greece in 480 BCE, Leonidas was tasked with leading a small group of Spartan warriors – 300 handpicked guys, all with sons back home – to hold the pass at Thermopylae. Their job? Buy time for Greece to get its act together against the massive Persian army.
Thing is, the Spartans were in the middle of a super important religious festival, the Karneia, and couldn’t really go all-out fighting until it ended. Normally, Sparta could have sent up to 8,000 soldiers, but not this time. With some backup from other Greek cities, Leonidas ended up with about 7,000 men total, which honestly wasn’t much against Xerxes’ force of 80,000.
They picked Thermopylae for a reason. It’s a tight coastal pass, perfect for a small force to hold off a much larger one. Xerxes, super confident, even sent a guy asking the Greeks to surrender. Leonidas’ reply? “Molōn labe” – basically, “Come and get them.”
Leonidas in the thick of it, the Greeks with their tight formations and better gear – they actually stalled the Persians for two whole days! Unfortunately, a local ratted them out, telling the Persians about a way to sneak around the Greek lines. Things got ugly. Leonidas sent most of his troops away, staying behind with his Spartans, some Thespians, and Thebans to cover the retreat.
In the end, it was a wipeout. The oracle at Delphi, always with the cryptic pronouncements, had said Sparta or one of its kings would fall – she nailed it. After the fight, Xerxes had Leonidas’ head put on display, a total violation of battlefield honor back then.
Leonidas Avenged
After Leonidas fell at Thermopylae, his young son Pleistarchus took the throne. Since he was a kid, Pausanias (Leonidas’ nephew) stepped in to rule on his behalf. But that didn’t mean the Greeks forgot Thermopylae. Within a year, they scored major victories against the Persians at Salamis and Plataea – that last battle was even led by Pausanius. With that, Xerxes’ invasion was finally crushed.
No one forgot the sacrifices at Thermopylae. A monument was built on the battlefield, a stark reminder with the inscription: “Go tell the Spartans, stranger passing by, that here obedient to their laws we lie.” They even placed a stone lion to honor Leonidas and his men. Forty years on, they brought the king’s remains back to Sparta, gave him a proper burial, and built a shrine for a true hero.
Speaking of heroes, there’s an old marble statue from Sparta– some think it’s Leonidas himself. Helmet on, with a face that would have had inlaid eyes, the statue speaks of the same fierce determination that made him a legend.
