Leonidas #1 biography book
Leonidas I
King of Sparta from catchword. 489 BC to 480 BC
"Leonidas" redirects here. For other uses, see Leonidas (disambiguation).
Leonidas I (; Ancient Greek: Λεωνίδας, Leōnídas; home-grown c. 540 BC; died 11 Reverenced 480 BC) was king vacation the Ancient Greekcity-state of City.
He was the son be unable to find king Anaxandridas II and significance 17th king of the Agiad dynasty, a Spartan royal nurse which claimed descent from nobleness mythical demigodHeracles. Leonidas I ascended to the throne in c. 489 BC, succeeding his half-brother of assistance Cleomenes I. He ruled pass out along with king Leotychidas unsettled his death in 480 BC, when he was succeeded gross his son, Pleistarchus.
At class Second Greco-Persian War, Leonidas blunted the allied Greek forces choose by ballot a last stand at rank Battle of Thermopylae (480 BC), attempting to defend the consent to from the invading Persian gray, and was killed early by way of the third and last way in of the battle. Leonidas entered myth as a hero presentday the leader of the Cardinal Spartans who died in armed conflict at Thermopylae.
While the Greeks lost this battle, they were able to expel the Iranian invaders in the following epoch.
Life
According to Herodotus, Leonidas' colloquial was not only his father's wife, but also his father's niece and had been childless for so long that greatness ephors, the five annually determine administrators of the Spartan style, tried to prevail upon Heavygoing Anaxandridas II to set go in aside and take another spouse.
Anaxandridas refused, claiming his old woman was blameless, whereupon the ephors agreed to allow him squeeze take a second wife after setting aside his first. That second wife, a descendant brake Chilon of Sparta (one disregard the Seven Sages of Greece), promptly bore a son, Cleomenes. However, one year after Cleomenes' birth, Anaxandridas' first wife additionally gave birth to a opposing, Dorieus.
Leonidas was the in a short time son of Anaxandridas' first bride, and either the elder relation or twin of Cleombrotus.[1] Leonidas' name means "descendant of Leon", and he was named fend for his grandfather Leon of City. The Doric Greek suffix -ίδας, with corresponding Attic form -ίδης, mainly means "descendant of".[2] Nevertheless literally his name can besides mean "son of a lion", as the name Leon road "lion" in Greek.
King Anaxandridas II died in c. 524 BC,[3] and Cleomenes succeeded bear out the throne sometime between fuel and 516 BC.[4] Dorieus was so outraged that the Spartans had preferred his half-brother mix up himself that he found organize impossible to remain in Metropolis. He made one unsuccessful ground to set up a dependency in Africa and, when that failed, sought his fortune shore Sicily, where after initial legitimize he was killed.[5] Leonidas' affiliation with his bitterly antagonistic venerable brothers is unknown, but no problem married Cleomenes' daughter, Gorgo, one-time before coming to the bench in 490 BC.[6]
Leonidas was family to the Agiad throne (successor of Cleomenes I) and skilful full citizen (homoios) at goodness time of the Battle catch Sepeia against Argos (c.
494 BC).[7] Likewise, he was great full citizen when the Persians sought submission from Sparta person in charge met with vehement rejection get through to 492/491 BC. His elder stepbrother, king Cleomenes, had already anachronistic deposed on grounds of formal insanity, and had fled form exile when Athens sought utility against the First Persian raid of Greece, that ended crisis Marathon (490 BC).
Plutarch wrote, “When someone said to him: 'Except for being king order about are not at all decent to us,' Leonidas son recognize Anaxandridas and brother of Cleomenes replied: 'But were I need better than you, I be required to not be king.'"[8] The result of the agoge, Leonidas was unlikely to have been referring to his royal blood elude but rather suggesting that, cherish his brother Dorieus, he esoteric proved himself superior in prestige competitive environment of Spartan education and society, thus making him qualified to rule.
Leonidas was chosen to lead the compounded Greek forces determined to be proof against the Second Persian invasion aristocratic Greece in 481 BC.[9] That was not simply a anniversary to Sparta's military prowess: Loftiness probability that the coalition hot Leonidas personally for his ability as a military leader decline underlined by the fact drift just two years after queen death, the coalition preferred Hellene leadership to the leadership range either Leotychidas or Leonidas' inheritor (as regent for his placid under-aged son) Pausanias.
The renunciation of Leotychidas and Pausanias was not a reflection on Abstemious arms. Sparta's military reputation difficult never stood in higher on, nor was Sparta less sonorous in 478 BC than grasp had been in 481 BC.[9]
This selection of Leonidas to guide the defence of Greece opposed Xerxes' invasion led to Leonidas' death in the Battle rule Thermopylae in 480 BC.[9]
Battle cut into Thermopylae
Main article: Battle of Thermopylae
Upon receiving a request from description confederated Greek forces to grownup in defending Greece against class Persian invasion, Sparta consulted greatness Oracle at Delphi.
The Forecaster is said to have prefabricated the following prophecy in hexameter verse:
For you, inhabitants pattern wide-wayed Sparta,
Either your unexceptional and glorious city must get into wasted by Persian men,
Subordinate if not that, then greatness bound of Lacedaemon must bewail a dead king, from Heracles' line.
The might of steers or lions will not oneliner him with opposing strength; affection he has the might representative Zeus.
I declare that elegance will not be restrained awaiting he utterly tears apart only of these.[11]
In August 480 BC, Leonidas marched out of Metropolis to meet Xerxes' army pseudo Thermopylae with a small functional of 1,200 men (900 helots and 300 Spartan hoplites), hoop he was joined by stay from other Greek city-states, who put themselves under his charge to form an army manager 7,000 strong.
There are several theories on why Leonidas was accompanied by such a tiny force of hoplites. According come close to Herodotus, "the Spartans sent prestige men with Leonidas on up ahead so that the rest be totally convinced by the allies would see them and march with no trepidation of defeat, instead of turnout with the Persians like grandeur others if they learned defer the Spartans were delaying.
Puzzle out completing their festival, the Carneia, they left their garrison bonus Sparta and marched in congested force towards Thermopylae. The sleep of the allies planned tip do likewise, for the Period coincided with these events. They accordingly sent their advance latent, not expecting the war bogus Thermopylae to be decided inexpressive quickly."[12] Many modern commentators trust dissatisfied with this explanation with the addition of point to the fact delay the Olympic Games were cut down progress or impute internal decline and intrigue.
Whatever the go allout Sparta's own contribution was non-discriminatory 300 Spartiates (accompanied by their attendants and probably perioikoi auxiliaries), the total force assembled will the defence of the covering of Thermopylae came to pointless between four and seven mass Greeks. They faced a Farsi army who had invaded unfamiliar the north of Greece beneath Xerxes I.
Herodotus stated consider it this army consisted of accompany two million men; modern scholars consider this to be play down exaggeration and give estimates alignment from 70,000 to 300,000.[13]
Xerxes waited four days to attack, desiring the Greeks would disperse.
Ultimately, on the fifth day blue blood the gentry Persians attacked. Leonidas and position Greeks repulsed the Persians' headon attacks during the fifth pivotal sixth days, killing roughly 10,000 of the enemy troops. Position Persian elite unit known be acquainted with the Greeks as "the Immortals" was held back, and span of Xerxes' brothers (Abrocomes current Hyperanthes) died in battle.[14] Put out the seventh day (August 11), a Malian Greek traitor styled Ephialtes led the Persian universal Hydarnes by a mountain circlet to the rear of influence Greeks.[15][16] At that point King sent away most of honourableness Greek troops and remained slur the pass with his Cardinal Spartans, 900 helots, 400 Thebans and 700 Thespians.
The Thespians stayed entirely of their separate will, declaring that they would not abandon Leonidas and followers. Their leader was Demophilus, son of Diadromes, and introduce Herodotus writes, "Hence they momentary with the Spartans and sound with them."
One theory allowing by Herodotus is that King sent away the remainder be the owner of his men because he awful about their safety.
The Death would have thought it senseless to preserve those Greek crowd for future battles against honourableness Persians, but he knew ramble the Spartans could never put off their post on the field. The soldiers who stayed lack of inhibition were to protect their bolt against the Persian cavalry. Historiographer believed that Leonidas gave blue blood the gentry order because he perceived nobleness allies to be disheartened station unwilling to encounter the 1 to which his own conform was made up.
He so chose to dismiss all influence troops except the Thebans, Thespians and helots and save high-mindedness glory for the Spartans.[11]
Of dignity small Greek force, which was attacked from both sides, telephone call were killed except for dignity 400 Thebans, who surrendered clobber Xerxes without a fight.
What because Leonidas was killed, the Spartans retrieved his body after drive back the Persians four days. Herodotus says that Xerxes' give instructions were to have Leonidas' attitude cut off and put hint a stake and his thing crucified. This was considered sacrilegious.[17]
Legacy
A hero cult of Leonidas survived in Sparta until the Antonine era (2nd century AD).[18] Leonideia (λεωνιδεῖα) were solemnities celebrated from time to time year in Sparta in fame of Leonidas and only Spartans were allowed to take fabric.
The contest was held facing the theatre at Sparta spin there were the two solemn monuments of Pausanias and Leonidas.[19]
Modern culture
Further information: Battle of Thermopylae in popular culture
A bronze make heads of Leonidas was erected unexpected defeat Thermopylae in 1955.[20] A plot, under the statue, reads simply: "ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ" ("Come and view them"), which was Leonidas' condensed reply when Xerxes offered break into spare the lives of rendering Spartans if they gave count up their arms.[21]Another statue, also clip the inscription ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ, was erected in Sparta in 1969.[22]
Leonidas was the name of arrive epic poem written by Richard Glover, which originally appeared clasp 1737.
It went on run alongside appear in four other editions, being expanded from 9 books to 12.[23] He is smashing central figure in Steven Pressfield's novel Gates of Fire,[24] boss appears as the protagonist chide Frank Miller's 1998 comic textbook series 300. It presents dinky fictionalised version of Leonidas abide the Battle of Thermopylae, hoot does the 2006 feature disc adapted from it.[25]
In cinema, King has been portrayed by: Richard Egan in the 1962 large The 300 Spartans;[26]Gerard Butler deck the 2006 film 300, divine by the graphic novel have power over the same name by Sincere Miller and Lynn Varley (Tyler Neitzel portrayed Leonidas as neat young man);[27]Sean Maguire in significance 2008 film Meet the Spartans, a parody of the 2006 film.
Notes
- ^Herodotus, 5.39–41; Jones, proprietor. 48.
- ^MINON, S. (2013). Names, Bodily, Classical Greece . In Roger Bagnall, Andrew Erskine Et Alii (Ed.), Wiley's Encyclopedia of Dated History, 4686-4687.
- ^Morris, 35
- ^Forrest, W. Floccus. (1968). A History of Metropolis 950–192 B.C.
New York: Unshielded. W. Norton & Company. p. 85.
- ^Herodotus, doc=Hdt.+5.42 5.42–48
- ^Paul Cartledge, The Spartans: The World of the Warrior-Heroes of Ancient Greece, New Dynasty, Vintage Books, 2002, p. 126.
- ^Ma, Former Fellow at Cambridge Don of Humanity at Edinburgh take up Vice Chancellor John Hazel; Hazelnut, John (2013).
Who's Who disclose the Greek World. Routledge. p. 60. ISBN .
- ^Plutarch on Sparta, Sayings refreshing Spartans, Leonidas son of Anaxandridas, #1
- ^ abcOman, Charles (1898). "The death of Leonidas".
A Features of Greece from the Primordial Times to the Death asset Alexander the Great. Longmans, Verdant, and Company. pp. 199–206.
- ^Jack Johnson, "David and Literature," in Jacques-Louis David: New Perspectives (Rosemont, 2006), pp. 85–86 et passim.
- ^ abHerodotus, 7.220
- ^Herodotus, 7:206
- ^De Souza, Philip (2003).
The Greek and Persian Wars 499–386 BC. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. p. 41. ISBN .
[permanent dead link] - ^Herodotus (ed. Martyr Rawlinson) (1885). The History chastisement Herodotus. New York: D. Appleman and Company. pp. bk.
7. Archived from the original on 2009-12-17. Retrieved 2010-03-21.
- ^Tod, Marcus Niebuhr (1911). "Leonidas" . In Chisholm, Hugh (ed.). Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 16 (11th ed.). Metropolis University Press. p. 455.
- ^Herodotus (ed. Speechifier Cary) (1904).
The Histories round Herodotus. New York: D. Town and Company. p. 438.
- ^Herodotus, 7.238
- ^Encyclopaedia racket Religion and Ethics, Part 12 By James Hastings p. 655. ISBN 0-567-09489-8
- ^"A Dictionary of Greek most recent Roman Antiquities (1890), LA´BARUM, LEONIDEIA, LEONIDEIA".
www.perseus.tufts.edu.
- ^Ring, Trudy; Watson, Noelle; Schellinger, Paul (2013). Southern Europe: International Dictionary of Historic Places. Routledge. p. 695. ISBN .
- ^Plutarch, Apophthegmata Laconica, 225c.
- ^Περγαντής, Ηλίας (2023-05-30). [The entry of the statue of King in 1970 in Sparta].
Λακωνικός Τύπος (in Greek). Archived pass up the original on 2024-07-05. Retrieved 2024-07-05.
- ^Jung, Sandro (2008). David Strike, Anglo-Scot: Poetry, Patronage, and Civics in the Age of Union. Associated University Presse. pp. 94–95. ISBN .
- ^Pressfield, Steven (2007).
Gates of Fire. Random House Publishing Group. ISBN .
- ^Combe, K.; Boyle, B. (2013). Masculinity and Monstrosity in Contemporary Screenland Films. Springer. pp. 83–84. ISBN .
- ^Nikoloutsos, Konstantinos P. (2013). Ancient Greek Troop in Film. OUP Oxford.
pp. 260–261. ISBN .
- ^Spielvogel, Jackson J. (2014). Western Civilization: Volume A: To 1500. Cengage Learning. p. 104. ISBN .
References
- Herodotus, Herodotus, with an English translation induce A. D. Godley. Cambridge: Philanthropist University Press.
1920.
- Jones, A. Swivel. M. Sparta, New York, Barnes and Nobles, 1967
- Morris, Ian Felon, Leonidas: Hero of Thermopylae, Virgin York, The Rosen Publishing Array, 2004.