Leonidas I, Sparta’s Greatest Warrior King
King Leonidas I is the most famous general in the history of Sparta, and perhaps the whole of Greece.
Disappointingly little is known about the real Leonidas, and we have to look closely to approach the truth. So who was this great leader, and how close is he to his fictional counterpart?
A Spartan Upbringing
Leonidas was the second son of King Anaxandridas and his first wife. Because of their difficulties conceiving, Anaxandridas had been allowed to have a second wife alongside the first, and as a result had several potential heirs.
First sons of Spartan kings were exempted from the agoge, the rigorous training regime all other male Spartan citizens were put through. As Leonidas was not expected to inherit the throne he was one of the few Spartan kings to receive agoge training, which included combat, tolerance of pain, stealth, communications and loyalty to Sparta.
A Bloody Inheritance
Leonidas became one of Sparta’s two kings in BC, following the alleged insanity and suicide in prison of his half-brother Cleomenes. There is some doubt over what really happened to Cleomenes. His death came amid political disputes, and Leonidas
Leonidas, the king of Sparta
Leonidas ( BC), the legendary king of Sparta, and the Battle of Thermopylae is one of the most brilliant events of the ancient Greek history, a great act of courage and self-sacrifice. This man and the battle itself has inspired since then many artists, poets and film-makers that hymn the spirit of him and his Spartans.
Little is known about the life of Leonidas before the Battle of Thermopylae. Historians believe that he was born around BC and the he was son of King Anaxandrias II of Sparta, a descendant of Hercules, according to the myth. Leonidas was married to Gorgo and had a son. He must have succeeded his half-brother to the throne at around BC, till his death in BC. His name meant either the son of a lion or like a lion.
In summer of BC, Xerxes, the king of Persia, was attacking Greece with a big and well-equiped army. As he had already conquered northern Greece and he was coming to the south, the Greeks decided to unite and confront him in Thermopylae, a narrow passage in central Greece. Leonidas and his army, soldiers, went off to Thermopylae to join the other Greek armies. The Greeks altogether were about 4, soldiers, while the Per
The Real Leonidas Was Even More Brutal Than On Screen
He's the most legendary warrior king in history. With his brave Spartans behind him, King Leonidas stood against the mighty invading Xerxes and stopped him in his tracks. The story has been told and retold countless times, but how much of what we've heard is true? It turns out, there's a lot more to the ruthless Leonidas than what we saw on screen.
More for You
Zelensky Issues F Update Amid Russian 'Lies'
Study shows how long Social Security, $M nest egg would last in 50 states
The Progressive Legal Group That Keeps Taking On Trump In The Courts – And Winning
Berkshire Hathaway 'compelling buy' during market turmoil, stock up about 16% YTD
Rescued astronauts: How much will they get paid for their ordeal?
Longtime Patriots Captain Had Perfect Bill Belichick Quote After Surprise Release
Ted Lasso recasts actor for key role in season four – here’s why
Musk to Receive Top-Secret Briefing on U.S. War Plans for China
Working While Receiving Social Security Retirement Benefits: What You Should Know
Read Message In A Bottle Found By Archeologists At Ancient Viking Site
‘We are n
Most of us know who King Leonidas I is because of the role he played in the ancient battle at Thermopylae, where brave Spartans fought the Persians to the death. Although this battle resulted in a Persian victory, the delay they faced at the pass at Thermopylae allowed the Athenians to ready their army and navy.
The Battle of Salamis ended with a clear Athenian victory and shortly after that, the Persians left Greece and never came back. By that time, however, King Leonidas had already sacrificed his life for the cause and although he never lived to see a Greek victory during the Second Persian Invasion, his legacy still lives on. Here&#;s more information about this noble Spartan king:
Early Life and Education of Leonidas
King Leonids the I was born in BC. Although his father ultimately had two wives, it was the first wife who gave Leonidas life. Because he was not the first born, he wasn&#;t technically considered heir to the throne. As a result of this, he was allowed to attend the agoge, which was Sparta&#;s public school. In that culture, this meant that he not only learned about important academic subjects, but he also began training as a warrior from the age of seve
Biographies you may also like
Deeda blair biography of martin luther king Martin Luther King Jr. was deeply influenced by his educational path. He attended Morehouse College, where he was inspired by Benjamin E. Mays, who emphasized social Missing: deeda blair.
Hartzell schaff biography of martin luther king Martin Luther King, Jr., deftly interweaves the history of the civil rights movement with King's rise to fame and influence and includes fascinating insight into factions within the Missing: hartzell schaff.
Singer dinkar biography 28K Followers, 60 Following, 5 Posts - Dinkar singer (@) on Instagram: " 퐃퐦 퐅퐨퐫 퐏퐚퐢퐝 퐏퐫퐨퐦퐨퐭퐢퐨퐧.
Ks bhamrah biography of abraham lincoln The sixteenth president of the United States and president during the Civil War (–), Abraham Lincoln will forever be remembered by his inspirational rise to fame, his efforts to rid Missing: ks bhamrah.
Attack on bibi zainab shrine Syria's Intelligence Directorate foiled an attack by the Islamic State group on the Sayeda Zeinab shrine in a Damascus suburb, a site of mass pilgrimage for Shi'ites, state news agency Sana.
Shahid kapoor girlfriend shraddha kapoor biography Shraddha Kapoor (bɛ dɔɣi o la 3 March ) ka o nyɛ India paɣa ŋun kpɛriti kpɛrigu Hindi filimnima. Filimnima [mali niŋ | mali mi di yibu sheena n-niŋ] Films [mali niŋ | mali mi di yibu .
Eeben barlow biography of nancy At the center of Barlow's synthesis of commerce and soldiering skills is his highly successful private corporate army known as Executive Outcomes or EO. The activities of EO, Missing: nancy.
Padma shri aruna sairam biography Padma Shri Aruna Sairam's Abhang performances have always been historic shows with power packed renditions, full houses and ecsastic audiences soaking in the delight of bhakti. She has .