[BLANK-1] in 480 B.C.E. was a pyrrhic victory for the Persia…
[BLANK-1] in 480 B.C.E. was a pyrrhic victory for the Persians during the Second Persian War. Greek historians recount that during a rearguard action in this conflict, 300 Spartan soldiers faced off against one million Persian soldiers, and held their own for three days (historians dismiss the outlandish number of soldiers, which would have been impossible for that era, but it is possible that the Spartans and their allies faced several hundred thousand soldiers). The Spartan king, Leonidas I, stayed with the 300 Spartans and they fought the Persians to the death, delaying and allowing the majority of the Spartan army to escape. Notably, the narrow pass the Spartans defended in this conflict limited the numerical advantage of the Persians and marks the first time in recorded history that an army used terrain as a force multiplier. While the Spartans lost the battle, the heroism of the 300 Spartans prevented a catastrophic defeat and paved the way for future battles that ultimately led to Greek victory in the war.
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