Introduction: The Brackish Tang of History
Welcome back to the “vomitorium,” listeners! In Episode 19 of the Ad Navseam Podcast, hosts Dr. Jeff Winkle and Dr. David Noe return from a brief hiatus (spent seeking the sun in Florida) to tackle one of the most famous military episodes in ancient history: The Battle of Thermopylae.
While students of the Latin language often spend their time with Caesar and Cicero, understanding the Greek antecedents of Roman power is essential. The story of the 300 Spartans is not just a Hollywood blockbuster; it is a foundational moment in Western civilization.
To set the scene, Dr. Winkle reads a stirring passage from the historian Peter Green (The Greco-Persian Wars), describing the atmosphere before the battle:
“So Leonidas and his men stood to arms for the last time… waiting patiently as the August sun climbed the sky… and the air filled with an odd blended scent of thyme and sulfur and the brackish tang of the sea marshes.”
In this first part of a two-part series, the hosts peel back the layers of myth to reveal the historical reality of the conflict, the nature of Spartan society, and the geography of the “Hot Gates.”
The Context: The Persian Juggernaut
To understand Thermopylae (480 BC), one must look back twenty years to the rise of the Persian Empire. Founded by Cyrus the Great and expanded by Darius, this empire was a massive, consolidated power stretching from India to the Aegean Sea.
The conflict began with the Ionian Revolt (499-493 BC). Greek city-states on the coast of Turkey (Asia Minor), led by Aristagoras of Miletus, rebelled against their Persian satraps. Athens and Eretria sent a small fleet to assist, burning the provincial capital of Sardis to the ground.
King Darius was furious. According to Herodotus, he tasked a servant to whisper in his ear three times a day: “Master, remember the Athenians”.
The First Wave: Marathon (490 BC)
Darius sought revenge in 490 BC, landing his forces at the plain of Marathon, roughly 26 miles from Athens. In a stunning upset, the Athenian hoplites routed the Persian forces while they were disembarking. It was a victory of superior discipline and heavy armor over numbers .
However, as Dr. Noe points out, this victory created a false sense of security. It wasn’t the end of the war; it was merely the opening salvo. Darius died in 486 BC, leaving his son Xerxes to finish the job with an even larger army.
The Spartans: Beyond the Mirage
The defense of Greece fell largely to the Spartans. But who were they?
Dr. Winkle notes that Sparta is often a “black box” to historians because they left behind almost no written records or monumental architecture. The historian Thucydides famously predicted that if future generations visited the ruins of Sparta, they would never believe it was a great power because it resembled a collection of villages rather than a city.
The Helots and the Military
Spartan militarism was not just a cultural quirk; it was a necessity. The Spartan elite (Spartiates) ruled over a massive slave population known as Helots. These enslaved Greeks worked the land, allowing the Spartan men to devote their entire lives to warfare.
- The Irony: As the hosts highlight, the “freedom” Leonidas fought for at Thermopylae was built on the backs of a brutally oppressed slave class.
- The Cryptaea: Young Spartans proved their manhood by policing and sometimes killing Helots in a secret ritual known as the Cryptaea.
Spartan Government
Sparta had a unique “mixed constitution” that fascinated later political theorists (including those who wrote in the Latin language like Cicero).
- Dual Kingship: Two kings ruled simultaneously to check each other’s power. One led the military; the other stayed home.
- Gerousia: A “Council of Elders” (men over 60) who acted as a supreme court.
- The Assembly: A democratic body that voted on laws—but without debate. They simply shouted “Yes” or “No”.
- Ephors: Five magistrates who supervised the kings and education.
The “Medizing” Problem
A crucial vocabulary word for students of Greek history is medizo (to “medize”). This verb means “to side with the Medes (Persians).”
Contrary to the popular image of a united Greece standing against the East, many Greek city-states capitulated to Xerxes.
- Thebes: This powerful northern city-state famously “medized,” hoping to gain power by siding with the invader.
- The Oracle: Even the Oracle at Delphi gave pessimistic prophecies, encouraging surrender.
Roughly a third of the Greeks sided with Persia, driven by fear of Xerxes’ massive army and his bottomless wealth.
The Geography: The Hot Gates
With the Persians marching south, the Greek alliance had to choose a defensive line. The northern pass at Tempe was too porous, and the Isthmus of Corinth (defended by the Peloponnesians) left Athens exposed.
They settled on Thermopylae (“The Hot Gates”).
- The Name: Named for the sulfurous hot springs in the area (Thermai = Hot, Pylai = Gates).
- The Terrain: In 480 BC, the pass was incredibly narrow—less than 20 yards wide at the middle gate, with the mountains on one side and the sea on the other.
This bottleneck was the only way for a massive army to enter central Greece. It neutralized the Persian numerical advantage, allowing a small force of heavy infantry to hold off thousands.
Conclusion: The Stage is Set
As the episode concludes, Leonidas and his 300 Spartans (along with roughly 7,000 other Greek allies) have arrived at the pass. They are breaking Spartan religious law by marching during the festival of the Carnea, but the existential threat of Persia leaves them no choice.
Across the water, the Greek navy prepares for the Battle of Artemisium. The stage is set for one of the greatest clashes in history.
Gustatory Parting Shot
Dr. Noe leaves us with a quote from Ambrose Bierce, the American satirist, regarding the French approach to sauce:
“Mayonnaise: one of the sauces which serve the French in place of a state religion.”
Valete!
Resources for the Classical Learner
- Hackett Publishing: For authoritative translations of Herodotus and Thucydides, 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.
