By Houston
October 29, 2018

Did you know that one of the most famous wars in Greek history was the Second Persian War? It all started when the ruthless Persian king Xerxes was resolved to finish the work of his father Darius, who had unsuccessfully tried to conquer Greece in the First Persian War. Xerxes and a colossal force of resolute troops set out for the Greek city-state of Athens. It is difficult to validate, but some historians claim that the army was roughly two million men. Because the Greeks heard the Persians were coming, all the city-states united so they could fend them off. The city-state of Sparta sent 300 men to partake in the war. The Spartans were bold warriors with sure, sharp, and shiny swords. They fought with thousands of other Greek soldiers to block the passageway to Athens called Thermopylae. The courageous Greeks held the Persians off for three bloody, death-ridden days, which gave the people of Athens time to flee. Eventually, they were beaten because a traitor told the Persians of a secret mountain path. Even though there was nobody inside the city, the enemy still burnt Athens to the ground. But that wasn’t the end. A brilliant Greek leader lured the lilting Persian ships into a trap. He pretended to be a traitor and gave Xerxes fatal advice. The cunning Greek navy totally demolished the attacking ships, so the Greeks emerged victorious. “You haven’t seen the last of me!” bellowed the irate Xerxes. Although they lost Thermopylae and the mighty brave 300 Spartans, Greece was triumphant during the historic Second Persian War.