Leonidas Falls at Thermopylae: Sparta's Last Stand
King Leonidas fell at Thermopylae leading roughly 300 Spartans and a small Greek rearguard against the massive Persian army of Xerxes I. His three-day stand bought critical time for the Greek fleet to regroup, and his sacrifice became the Western world's enduring symbol of courage against overwhelming odds.
August 11, 480 BC
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