It's 480BC. The sun scorches the pass of Thermopylae—“The Hot Gates”—as a thunder of sandals echoes through Greece. This isn’t just another skirmish. It’s the moment courage gets immortalized. The Persian king Xerxes I, ruler of a vast empire stretching from India to Egypt, brought hundreds of thousands of warriors to crush Greece. Planning to blitz through the narrow pass of Thermopylae and take Athens. Standing in his way: Leonidas, the Spartan king, joined by 300 elite Spartans. They’re backed by a coalition of about 7,000 Greek warriors—Thespians, Thebans, and more. For two full days, the Greeks hold firm. They use the narrow terrain to funnel Persian troops into a meat grinder of hoplite spears and shields. Casualties mount. Xerxes seethes. On August 20th, betrayal strikes. A Greek named Ephialtes shows the Persians a hidden path around the pass. Leonidas knows what’s coming—and chooses to stay. He dismisses most of the allies, then leads the Spartans and a few loyalists into a final stand. Outnumbered, surrounded, and exhausted, the Spartans fight to the death. Leonidas falls. So do his men. But their sacrifice buys Greece time, unites the city-states, and ignites a resistance that will eventually defeat Persia. The Battle of Thermopylae wasn’t a victory on paper—but it became a legend inked in blood and fire.