Posts: 32
Threads: 10
Joined: Jul 2007
Reputation:
0
Okay, in the last stand at Thermopylae, on day 3 of the battle, were the Persians able to take out a good majority of the Spartans before they had outflanked them or was it after? Cuz that one guy on that comic site said it was before and it also said this in a book I just recently purchased that: The Greek spears were broken and Leonidas was even killed during this(before the flank), there was a fight over the body but finally Hydarnes and the Immortals reached the pass, flanking them and then the Spartans and other hoplites were finished off by arrows.
Brazelton Wallace Mann
Posts: 4,029
Threads: 90
Joined: May 2005
Reputation:
0
Please have a look in the relevant threads.
We do mot know what happened in Annopaea for starters.
Leonidas death was a critical point affecting the moral of the Greeks.
Probably at that time the Thebans surrendered.
Because of the narrowness the phalanx would have been unusually deep.
So it was eroded slowly and it must have been a brutal an bloody bussiness.
The last survivors must have been exausted from fatigue and many small bleeding wounds. Some might have collapsed and were disp[atched as they fell while unable to defend themselves.
Kind regards
Posts: 32
Threads: 10
Joined: Jul 2007
Reputation:
0
Okay, I know it was more narrow, but how does that effect the Persians ability to more easily 'erode' the phalanx?? wouldnt that make it harder? which was primarily what the pass was doing on the first two days, and why the hoplites held them off.
Brazelton Wallace Mann
Posts: 4,029
Threads: 90
Joined: May 2005
Reputation:
0
The first 2 days Herodotus says that Leonidas was exchanging unist by city state. These means that hoplites could rest while relived by a contignent of another city state.
Imagine yourself on the 3rd day fighting from 9:00 till lets say 13:00 manouvering 8 kgr (19 pounds) on your left arm and swinging violently your right cutting and thrusting on an enemies that seem to never end.
You are dehydrating in ahot summer day slowly bleeding from many minor cuts and ono ne is relieving you while the enmy is throeing frest troops.
Kind regards
