Ascension to the Throne
Leonidas was the son of King Anaxandridas II. He was the seventeenth King of the Agiad Dynasty and ruled jointly with King Leotychidas. His rule was short, lasting only nine years.
As a child, Leonidas, like all male Spartan citizens, trained to be a Hoplite warrior, becoming proficient with shield, sword and spear. Upon the death of his father, Leonidas’ half-brother ascended to the throne, and upon his death, Leonidas was the next in the Agiad line.
Leonidas as King
In the City-State of Sparta, the position of King is both a political and military role. As King, he was primarily responsible for the protection and defense of the City-State. It was not a strange occurance for the Greek City-States to fight with one another for land or resources, and Leonidas would lead several of these fights. There was also the threat of non-greek invaders and with the rise of the Persian empire becoming a threat, vigilance was necessary.
The Second Invasion of Persia and the Battle of Thermopylae
When Xerxes I of Persia attempted to invade Greece, the City-States put aside their differences and banded together to protect themselves from the new threat.
Leonidas was chosen to lead a coalition of Greek forces to meet the threat. Leonidas took 7,000 Greek troops to the pass at Thermopylae. The narrow pass would allow the significantly smaller Greek forces to hold the pass with a phalanx. For two days, the Greek forces held the pass, and the tactic may have worked if a local had not informed the Xerxes of another way through the pass that would allow the Persian army to get behind the phalanx and break through the Greek forces.
Leonidas, eventually seeing the plan of the Persian forces, ordered the majority of his forces to retreat, keeping only the 300 Spartan hoplites with him. The result would be a battle of 300 Spartans versus the Persian army that numbered over 100,000. Every Spartan knew they were going to their death, but their sacrifice could give the bulk of their force time to retreat and regroup with the rest of the Greek army; A battle lost to win the war. Leonidas and his force of 300 met the Persians with no fear, screaming defiance at their foes as they faced the slaughter. The Persians would eventually behead the corpse of Leonidas – a grave insult.
The heroic self sacrifice in the face of overwhelming odds to save others at the Battle of Thermopylae bound the soul of Leonidas to the Horn of Valere.
Legacy
The sacrifice of the Spartans at Thermopylae did not prevent the Persian army from continuing down the Greek Coast, but it did allow the Greek forces to come together and the Athenian Navy eventually forced the Persians into a retreat at the Battle of Salamis. The sacrifice cemented Leonidas’ place as a hero, and led to the legend that “Spartans Never Surrender.” Forty years after the battle, Sparta received what they believed to be the remains of Leonidas, and a shrine was built to honor him and his sacrifice.
Rebirths
1st Age: Claude Saint-Clair
0 Comments