THE SPARTANS LAST STAND AT THERMOPYLAE: COURAGE, TREACHERY, AND ENDURING LEGACY OF THE SPARTAN ETHOS

1001 Heroes, Legends, Histories & Mysteries Podcast

Jon Hagadorn

Society & Culture, History

4.4 • 1.7K Ratings

🗓️ 13 July 2025

⏱️ 45 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Part one of our six part summer series "Last Stands" at 1001 Heroes! Reviews Appreciated!

The incredible story of Greece's effort to fight off the Persian Empire's attempt to occupy Greece by sending their best warriors from their united city-states- the battle being ended with the last 300 Spartans led by King Leonidas in a 7 days long effort to fend off 200,000 Persians. The Spartan ethos remains today not only in our military but in each one us as we seek the determination and courage to face our live's challenges. COMING SOON: RORKE'S DRIFT (Zulu Wars 1879)

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Resources used:
• Excerpts from "Battle of Thermopylae | EBSCO Research Starters", published in 2022 by Chara, Paul John, Jr.
• Green, Peter. The Greco-Persian Wars. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1996.
• Pressfield, S. Gates of Fire: An Epic Novel of the Battle of Thermopylae. New York: Bantam Books, 1999.
• Excerpts from "Did 300 Spartans Hold Off a Persian Army of Millions? | Ripley's Believe It or Not! | Aquariums, Attractions, Museums", Author: Engrid Barnett; Published on: March 27, 2024
• Excerpts from "Herodotus on Thermopylae - Livius": Website: Livius.org;
• Excerpts from the transcript of the video "Herodotus' Account of The Battle of Thermopylae"; YouTube Channel: S.A.R Histories
• Excerpts from the transcript of the video "King Leonidas I: The True Meaning of Being a Relentless Warrior"; YouTube Channel: Story of the Apex
• Excerpts from the transcript of the video "Last Stand of Thermopylae | The 300 Spartans"; YouTube Channel: The Northern Historian
• Excerpts from "Last Stand of the 300 - Wikipedia":
• Excerpts from "Millennia After Leonidas Made His Last Stand at Thermopylae, a Ragtag Band of Saboteurs Thwarted the Axis Powers in the Same Narrow Pass"; Authors: Myke Cole and Michael Livingston. Published on: February 5, 2024.
• Excerpts from the transcript of the video "The Battle of Thermopylae": YouTube Channel: Pritzker Military Museum & Library
• Excerpts from the transcript of the video "The Battle of Thermopylae: Last Stand of the Greeks Explained": YouTube Channel: Captivating History
• Excerpts from "THERMOPYLAE 480 BC: ANCIENT ACCOUNTS OF A BATTLE"; Author: Jan P. Stronk.
Credits
Produced and Narrated by: Jon Hagadorn
Research & Writing: Gizelle Erickson

Transcript

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0:00.0	In the annals of ancient warfare, few confrontations resonate with the enduring power and dramatic intensity of the Battle of Thermopylae.
0:08.5	Fought in 480 BCE, this epic clash between a small, resolute Greek force called the Spartans,
0:15.9	and the immense Persian army, led by King Xerxes, has captivated imaginations for millennia, solidifying
0:22.9	its place as a symbol of courage against insurmountable odds.
0:27.4	Yet, as we view this from a 360-degree perspective, examining the multiple accounts, including
0:33.4	ancient Greek texts from Herodotus, it becomes clear that the truth of Thermopyla is a tapestry woven from diverse threads,
0:41.3	some glorifying, others critical, all contributing to its profound legacy.
0:47.3	Regardless of different historians takes the ability of a 7,000-man Greek force to hold off the Persian army.
0:55.0	Estimated at 250,000 warriors for seven days has become embedded in our human history
1:01.0	as one of history's greatest last stands.
1:04.0	Both ancient and modern writers have used the Battle of Thermopylae
1:08.0	as a textbook example of the power of an army defending its native soil.
1:12.6	The performance of the Greek defenders, the Spartan warriors, is also used as an example of the advantages of military training,
1:20.6	equipment, and use of terrain as force multipliers, giving a huge boost to morale.
1:28.3	As Napoleon once said, the morale is to the fiscal as three to one.
1:34.3	Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff Colin Powell put it this way.
1:38.3	Perpetual optimism is a force multiplier.
1:42.3	The men of Sparta gave us an expression we all use today in almost every language.
1:47.0	To live a Spartan life is to set an example for discipline and self-sacrifice.
1:53.0	We all need it to stay in shape, to learn new things, to keep our minds and bodies performing well.
2:00.0	That's the legacy the warriors of Sparta, Greece gave us 2,500 years ago.
2:06.4	This is the story of how their legacy came to be.
	...

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