Thermopylae, a narrow pass on the eastern coast of Greece, is also one of the best strategies the Greek army used against the Persians in the Battle of Thermopylae. The width of the pass allowed fewer Allied Athenian and Spartan soldiers to fight more Persian troops. The Persian army was much stronger and larger than the allied Greek army, but courage and strategy helped the allied Greek army to have a huge impact on the Persian army. Although the small group of Spartan soldiers known as the “300” knew the fate that awaited them, they still fought hard and held off the Persian army for about three days, all the while removing as many Persian soldiers as they could manage from their homeland. which had given them the infamous fight-or-flight moment. Despite obvious setbacks, they held out until a trader named Ephialtes led the Persian army on the road that took them behind the Greek army. Already having the upper hand, the Persian army took advantage of its size and crushed the 300 remaining Spartan soldiers. This left the remaining soldiers no chance against the Persian forces. Their efforts and courage at Thermopylae were not ignored. Throughout history we have honored and celebrated the courage of these men. The most famous recognition of the Spartans' loyalty and devotion to their homeland and allies was depicted in the 2006 film “300.” Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay The Battle of Salamis was fought by Greek allies and their Persian rival. The Greeks used the island of Salamis to conduct operations there, the protective shape of the island helping to keep invaders away. The Greek forces were completely outnumbered, but thought they could at least make a dent in the Persian fleets. Salamis is one of the most important battles in ancient history. The Greek army took advantage of the unique protection offered by Salamis and attacked the Persian fleets. The restricted area where the Persian ships had to move became the biggest weakness. The Persian king Xerxes was amazed by the Greeks' strategy. Xerxes sat on a hilltop above the battlefield and watched the much smaller Greeks; eliminate fleet after fleet of Persian ships. When the Persians realized that they were doomed in this battle, they decided to retreat and leave Salamis. However, communication was also one of the biggest mistakes made by the Persians. When the first fleet began to retreat, the second followed, but the uninformed third fleet ended up colliding and the domino effect repeated itself. This costly mistake caused many deaths among the Persian soldiers. The rules of the two enemy kingdoms were very different in many ways. Power was of markedly different stature in both the Greek nations and Persia. During this period Persia was known as a thoughtful country and always gave conquered nations rights to their own customs and traditions. Cyrus the Great started this trend of respect and drove out his empire in 700 BC The empire founded by Cyrus is considered one of the greatest empires in history. He exceeded the expectations of his people and time by being a great warrior and a victorious conqueror. Cyrus was respected as a liberator in many other empires of this time. His ambitious and revolutionary ways of governing have certainly left their mark on history. Cyrus' example was continued by Darius I. Darius continued the Persian success by building the empire, although he was not the king who would follow soon after Cyrus the Great, he proved himself to be Cyrus' true successor. AfterDarius was there Xerxes. Xerxes was the king of Persia and the leader of the Persian army. He was the grandson of Cyrus the Great and the son of Darius, both great leaders in Persian history. Although he stood by his father, his way of ruling was a little different. During the Battle of Thermopylae, Xerxes was so confident in himself and the capabilities of his army that he had himself thrown from the top of a hill so he could watch his army defeat the Greek army. His strategy was weak and proved to be quite costly and irresponsible for the Persians. Although the Persians had won the battle, and ultimately the war, having the advantage that the Persians had, they should have had a much more effective tactic for their plan of attack. His way of ruling was different from the non-violent and thoughtful way of his father and grandfather. Xerxes was much harsher with the populations of the territories he conquered. When Xerxes conquered Egypt in 485 he deliberately revoked the Egyptian way of life. Darius, Xerxes' father, was an ally of Babylon and Egypt during his reign. When Xerxes came to power he stabbed these empires in the back and opposed his father and grandfathers' easy-going way of ruling. The Spartans on the other hand were a military city-state. The main objective was to maintain and skillfully train the small army they had at their disposal. Spartan history tells us that loyalty to that country, obedience, and strategy were very important in Spartan culture. The helots or farmers of the Spartan Empire performed all the manual labor of the community thus forcing others to join the army. At the age of seven Spartan boys were taken to training camps and taught to fight. Although discipline throughout the empire was intense, it proved its benefits when the time came for war. Although there was fighting between Sparta and Greece during the Peloponnesian Wars, there was something of an alliance between the two native Greek empires and when the Athenians went to war against the Persians, the Spartans were neighbors. With a small army, the Spartans tried to avoid war with other empires as much as possible. The lack of men also made it concentrate during the war, in a completely different way. The Spartans focused on strategy and experience, and despite their uniqueness, these alternative strategies provided much success. The army's strengths were most evident in the Spartan navy. Leonidas, a Greek general, is best known for his final battle at Thermopylae, where he and all of his men were brutally massacred by the much stronger Persian forces. The pride of Leonidas and his men was unmistakable. As the story tells us, Leonidas and his band of 300 men fought hard side by side knowing the fate that awaited them. The Persian forces were estimated at around 10,000 men and with impressive courage, Leonidas and his men banded together and died together. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay In my opinion, the greatest leader was the Spartan general Leonidas. I believe there is no loser in a fight. If you are willing to sacrifice your life for something you believe in, then you have done your job. To feel as strongly connected to your country as the band 300 did is in itself an extraordinary achievement. I am also a firm believer in education and strategy. I admire the direction-minded Spartans when it came to the direction of their military. Without direction and obedience your army means nothing. It's like a game without pieces, you can play as much as you want but you won't win. The Persians clearly won the war, but only because of the relationship between Persians