Meta Description: Join Dr. David Noe and Dr. Jeff Winkle for the conclusion of their deep dive into the Battle of Thermopylae. From the treachery of Ephialtes to the desperate “hands and teeth” struggle on the hillock, discover the history behind the legend of the 300.
Introduction: The Fierce Struggle
Welcome back to the “vomitorium,” listeners! In Episode 20 of the Ad Navseam Podcast, hosts Dr. Jeff Winkle and Dr. David Noe return to finish the epic saga they began last week: The Battle of Thermopylae.
To set the tone for this climactic episode, Dr. Noe reads a brutal and stirring passage from the father of history, Herodotus, describing the final moments of the Spartan king:
“There now arose a fierce struggle between Persians and Spartans over the body of Leonidas. Four times the Greeks drove off the enemy and at last by their bravery succeeded in bearing the body away… Here they resisted to the last with their swords if they had them, if not with their hands and teeth, until they were overwhelmed by the encircling Persians.”
In this episode, we move from the strategic setup to the bloody reality of the “Hot Gates,” analyzing the three days of battle, the infamous betrayal, and how a tactical defeat became a moral victory that saved Western civilization.
Days One and Two: The Immovable Object
The battle proper began on August 18, 480 BC. Xerxes, the Persian King, had waited four days, likely assuming the tiny Greek force would flee at the sight of his massive army. When they didn’t, he finally unleashed his forces.
The First Wave
Xerxes sent in the Medes and Cissians. These were capable troops, but in the narrow confines of the pass, their numbers meant nothing against the heavy armor and long spears of the Spartan hoplites. The Greeks repelled them with ease.
The Immortals
Frustrated, Xerxes played his trump card: the Immortals, his elite guard. While modern media often portrays them with stylized masks, their reality was a terrifying discipline. However, they fared no better. The Spartans utilized a tactical feign—a false retreat. They would turn their backs, pretending to flee in panic. When the Persians broke ranks to chase them, the Spartans would wheel around in perfect unison and slaughter them.
By the end of the second day (August 19), Xerxes was reportedly leaping from his throne in rage and fear. He had the numbers, but he couldn’t break the line.
The Diabolus Ex Machina: Ephialtes
The turning point of the battle was not tactical genius, but treachery. Enter Ephialtes, a local Malian Greek who knew the terrain intimately.
Dr. Noe references historian Peter Green’s perfect nickname for Ephialtes: the Diabolus Ex Machina (The Devil from the Machine). Ephialtes revealed to Xerxes the existence of the Anopaea Path, a goat track that led through the mountains and came out directly behind the Spartan position.
The Boots on the Leaves
Leonidas knew about the path and had stationed 1,000 Phocian troops to guard it. However, the Persians, led by the commander Hydarnes, marched at night through the oak forests to surprise them.
In one of the most atmospheric descriptions of the war, Peter Green describes the moment the Phocians realized they were doomed:
“The recent storms had shaken down a large number of dry leaves from the trees. And as they advanced, Hydarnes’ 10,000 made a great crackling and rustling… this noise of boots kicking up leaves seems to have been the first intimation the Phocians had that a large enemy force was approaching.”
Caught unprepared and without Spartan leadership to stiffen their resolve, the Phocians retreated to a nearby hill to make a stand. Hydarnes simply ignored them and marched down the mountain to encircle Leonidas.
The Final Stand: A Hillock of Heroes
On the morning of August 20, scouts ran down the mountain to tell Leonidas the grim news: they were surrounded.
Leonidas made the decision to dismiss the bulk of the allied army to fight another day. He, his 300 Spartans, 700 Thespians, and 400 Thebans remained to hold the pass and cover the retreat.
The Melee
Knowing this was the end, the Greeks didn’t stay behind their defensive wall. They marched out into the wider part of the pass to kill as many enemies as possible.
- The Death of Leonidas: The King fell early in the skirmish. A furious struggle erupted over his body, reminiscent of the fight over Patroclus in Homer’s Iliad. The Greeks managed to drag his body away four times before being overwhelmed.
- The Hillock: With their spears broken and their leader dead, the survivors retreated to a small hillock. It was here, as Herodotus recorded, that they fought to the very end with their swords, and if they had no swords, “with their hands and their teeth”.
The Legacy: Cicero and the Stone Lion
The battle was a defeat, but a “Pyrrhic victory” for Xerxes. He lost massive amounts of men and precious time, allowing the Greek navy to regroup at Salamis.
The memory of the 300 was immortalized in an epigram by the Greek poet Simonides:
“O stranger, tell the Lacedaemonians that here we lie, obedient to their laws.”
The hosts note that this sentiment was so powerful it crossed cultural lines; the Roman orator Cicero later translated this famous epitaph into Latin, capturing the stoic duty that the Romans so admired in the Spartans.
Travelogue: Visiting the Hot Gates Today
What does Thermopylae look like today? Both Dr. Winkle and Dr. Noe share their impressions from visiting the site.
- The Geography Has Changed: Due to silting over 2,500 years, the sea has retreated several miles. What was once a narrow pass between mountains and ocean is now a wide plain with a highway running through it.
- Visualizing the Battle: Despite the changes, standing on the hillock of the final stand remains a moving experience. The mountains still plunge steeply, and the sulfur springs (Thermopylae means “Hot Gates”) still bubble with a “brackish tang.”
- The Monuments: There is a modern statue of Leonidas and a monument to the Thespians, but the site remains largely uncluttered, allowing the imagination to reconstruct the desperate struggle of 480 BC.
Conclusion: A Destiny of Nations
The Battle of Thermopylae bought the Greeks the time they needed. Following the naval victory at Salamis and the land battle at Plataea, the Persian threat was extinguished. The sacrifice of the 300 allowed the distinct culture of Greece to survive and flourish.
Gustatory Parting Shot
Dr. Winkle concludes the episode with a thought from Anthony Trollope in Barchester Towers:
“Don’t let love interfere with your appetite. It never does with mine.”
Valete!
Resources
- Hackett Publishing: For excellent translations of Herodotus (like the Samuel Shirley translation used in this episode), use code AN2021 for 20% off at hackettpublishing.com.
- The Moss Method: Want to read the New Testament or Herodotus in the original Greek? Check out Dr. Noe’s course at mossmethod.com.
Ratio Coffee: Fuel your historical studies with the Ratio 6. Use code ANCO for 15% off at ratiocoffee.com.
