In the summer of 480 BC, the Persian army, alleged by the ancient sources to have numbered over one million, but some estimate much less, marched towards Greece and met 300 Spartans at a pass in Thermopylae.
The leader of the barbarians, Xerxes, asking the leader of the Spartans to “Hand over your arms”. Leonidas’ famous response was for the Persians to “Come and take them.”
[Another great quote relates to when one of the soldiers complained that “Because of the arrows of the barbarians it is impossible to see the sun”, Spartan leader Leonidas replied: “Won’t it be nice, then, if we shall have shade in which to fight them?”]
The vastly outnumbered 300 Spartans held off the Persians for seven days.
On a biblical note, the book of Esther describes what happens during the time of Xerxes reign. Esther is the Jewish queen of the Persian king Ahasuerus. Ahasuerus is traditionally identified with Xerxes.
The battle of Thermopylae takes place between chapters 1 and 2 of the book. It would be included in the “after these things” (2:1).
In the third year of his reign (1:3), Ahasuerus had a “Pep Rally Party” to entice the various kings in his empire to join him on a military expedition to Greece (Esther 1:3-22). At this lavish banquet, each participant got their own gold vessels (1:7). Each vessel was individually hand crafted and different from any other. This banquet was designed to encourage these kings to “sign up for a Greek vacation” with their armies!
{the above has been plagiarized from numerous sources...}
Send me a few of those sources, please. I’ve been trying to find the link between Xerxes and Ahasuerus for a while - and there is some doubt among historians (some of whom say that Xerxes came later). Thanks.
The Persians were not barbarians. Persia was, at that time, a vast empire - far more powerful than the Hellenic civilization.
BKM