[SandRat]

ah..... but did you know how they were finally beaten by Xerxes? I garrison the Spartans were AC in the field the were DC and after several attacks there was an odd number left and on Spartan was cast off for another. Rejected the cast off took French Leave and crossed over to the enemy and showed them the way for a small band of Xerxes Raiders to attack the Spartans from the rear while the main body of Xerxes force attacked the front. All for a DC love affair rejection for another.

At least that's what my Professor of Ancient History told when I was in college.

[eleni121]

Your professor sounds like a dunce - but then lots of history professors are dunces - and of course you chuckled over that didya?

The disproportionate losses of the Persian army - estimated at 50,000!!! - alarmed Xerxes so that when his navy was later defeated at Salamis he fled Greece leaving only part of his force to finish the job of the conquest of Greece, which was defeated at the Battle of Plataea

The Spartans heroism at Thermopylae allowed the Greeks the time to regroup and instilled a fear - phobos - in the collective minds of the Persians.

More detail at wikipedia and of course many other sources

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Thermopylae#Aftermath