. The Library of historic characters and famous events of all nations. ,^T^^* * -\a^. »_j EONIDAS, whose name has been immor-?^ talized by his glorious death in defenceof Grecian liberty, was the King ofSparta, and ascended the throne about488 In the year 480 b. c, Xerxes,the Persian King, invaded Greece witha force of over two million soldiers,exclusive of camp-followers. Havingcrossed the Hellespont, Xerxes enteredGreece on the northeast, and traversed Thrace and Thessalyuntil he found his further march obstructed by an insur-mountable range of mountains
. The Library of historic characters and famous events of all nations. ,^T^^* * -\a^. »_j EONIDAS, whose name has been immor-?^ talized by his glorious death in defenceof Grecian liberty, was the King ofSparta, and ascended the throne about488 In the year 480 b. c, Xerxes,the Persian King, invaded Greece witha force of over two million soldiers,exclusive of camp-followers. Havingcrossed the Hellespont, Xerxes enteredGreece on the northeast, and traversed Thrace and Thessalyuntil he found his further march obstructed by an insur-mountable range of mountains. The only crossing was atthe narrow pass of Thermopylae, a defile having a length offive miles. Here the Greek States had posted an army forthe common defence. But the minor States, with the excep-tion of ThespicC and Plat^a, became so terrified by the reportsof the vastness of the Persian host, that they withdrew theirtroops. Sparta and Athens were now deserted by their alliesand their total force was consequently reduced to 12,000 of these were sent under Leonidas to the mountainpass, while th
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, bookidhistoricchar, bookyear1894
